The story of how VHS tapes of popular American films narrated by a female translator helped overthrow a dictator is examined in this enlightening documentary. In culturally isolated Romania, dictator Nicolae Ceausescu cut television programming to 2 hours of propaganda per day, which forced citizens to begin illegally screening films in homes using VHS players. One woman translated nearly all US films smuggled into Romania, which were brought into the country through clandestine deals with border patrol agents. In spite of concerns about secret police, and suspicions and paranoia from constant surveillance, American films flooded into Romania and threatened the cult of personality surrounding Ceausescu.
Using film clips, interviews, recreations, and news footage, Chuck Norris Vs. Communism details the infiltration of American film culture into the isolated communist country of Romania, and the resulting downfall of authoritarian rule.
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