This page is part of my unofficial solutions manual to the GRE Paper Practice Book (2e), a free resource available on the ETS website. They publish the questions; I explain the answers. If you haven’t worked through the Practice Book, give Section 4 a shot before reading this!

4.1: “This filmmaker …”

Our clue here is the phrase “not … political,” which tells us that a political message is not an important feature of this filmmaker’s work. The blank, likewise, tells us what the filmmaker is not famous for. So the word that goes in the blank — our correct answer — will mean something like “politically motivated” or “politically engaged.” Of the five words in the list, only one is closely related to politics: polemical (A), which means “controversial and argumentative.” A polemic is an argument made primarily by criticizing the opposing viewpoint, which is a common tactic in political conflicts.

The rest of these answers don’t really have to do with politics. A film can have interesting cinematic (B) qualities regardless of whether it has a political message as well. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a great example of a film known for its striking camera work and visual storytelling, not for its political commentary. Dr. Strangelove, on the other hand, is an intensely political film that is also fascinating from a cinematic point of view. Likewise, a work can have a compelling narrative (C), be a commercial (D) success, or tell a dramatic (E) story whether or not it also has a political message.