Larry Flynt as a Controversial Advocate for Freedom of Speech in The People vs. Larry Flynt

Abstract

The focus of this article is to examine the notion of freedom, and more precisely freedom of speech, in the light of The People vs. Larry Flynt. The analysis will pay close attention to what has always been a central concern of American society constituting one of the basic principles on which the new nation was founded. What is more, the article will try to indicate that freedom of speech has been as essential as controversial in many respects, which is proven by numerous examples from American history. As a baseline of this study I have chosen Larry Flynt, whose life and legal battles form the central theme of the selected biopic. The article will scrutinize the plot of the movie, as it provides interesting insights into the life of this controversial advocate of freedom of speech. Flynt made himself well-known, if not notorious, by being the focal point of countless debates that concerned moral issues, public taste, and two basic rights guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the First Amendment. Ultimately, the article will try to challenge the concept of a society based on the notion of freedom of speech by asking and trying to answer three questions: What precisely is freedom of speech? Is freedom of speech absolute? Are there any limits of expression and if so, then where to draw the line?