Episode 5. The Swimmer (1968): The Surreality and Collapse of WASP Culture

The Surreality and Collapse of WASP Culture!

In our fifth episode, we discuss what we’ve been watching lately — a little bit of Dredd and Abel Ferrara — and then head back to the 60s to discuss the recently-reappraised Burt Lancaster film, The Swimmer (1968; dir. Frank Perry). We tackle the film’s exploration of age and morality, its stunning indictment of WASP culture, the film’s rocky history, and much more.

We’re also still working on our Subscriber Drive so we can add a second episode to the show. More details on that to come on the blog!

Enjoy!

Download Episode 005 (The Swimmer)(MP3)

Show Notes:

The Swimmer (1968)
Resources:
- On The Swimmer by Jeff Stafford (TCM)
- Burt Lancaster by Kate Buford
- Burt Lancaster by Robert Windeler
- The New Yorker Fiction Podcast on John Cheever’s story
Our next film: Jurassic Park (1993)