The War Room (1993)
Starring: James Carville, George Stephanopoulos
Directed by: Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker
4 out of 5
Myles Herod
Entertainment Editor
Although Bill Clinton became president of the United States, it was James Carville and George Stephanopolous who won the election in 1992. That seems to be what directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker are telling us in their documentary The War Room – an absorbing look into what campaigns are capable of.
You don’t have to be politically minded to get sucked into the whirlwind that the two create with their engaged camera work and encompassing editing. A large part of what makes The War Room so memorable is the presence of strategist James Carville and communications director George Stephanopoulos, now household media names, then just two guys running a campaign.
Both men anchor the film so well that its structure just seems to fall into place. Capturing the think-on-your-feet brilliance of both, we also get a fly on the wall account of America at the time, pre-internet, still divided by two parties.
Hegedus’ and Pennebaker’s film fits comfortably within the tradition of cinema verité, bypassing voiceover narration and simply presenting the events as they played. But the film’s propulsive structure reveals a pair of brilliant filmmakers — not passive, but one’s who carefully shaped a great timepiece of the Clinton campaign, with Bill making a handful of memorable cameos to boot.
Special Features: Criterion has put together a wealth of extras. On the political spectrum, A 2008 sequel Return of the War Room features Hegedus and Pennebaker revisit with Carville and Stephanopoulos reflecting on the 1992 campaign, while a panel discussion hosted by the William J. Clinton Foundation features Clinton offering anecdotes and a keen eye on his legacy.
On the film spectrum, Hegedus and Pennebaker gather for a new discussion about how the production came together. Recorded separately is Nick Doob on the techniques necessary for making a film like this function and breath.
Overall: A fascinating doc, revved up with some fabulous special features. Politics were never the same after Carville and Stephanopoulos took over. This remains a great introduction to a brief history in the arena of American politics.
Buy or Rent: Buy...especially if you're a political junkie.
Letter Never Sent (1959)
Starring: Tatiana Samoilova
Directed by: Mikhail Kalatozov
4 out of 5
Myles Herod
Entertainment Editor
Released in 1959, director Mikhail Kalatozov’s superb Letter Never Sent has been issued a second lease on life – thanks wholly to the efforts of The Criterion Collection.
The story concerns four Soviet geologists, prospecting for diamonds in remote Siberia. Gentle and committed Marxist-Leninists, they are all in love, Tanya and Andrey with each other, Sabinine with the wife he left behind, and Sergey who is left in forbidden, unrequited love with Tanya.
The idea of the expedition is that a source of diamonds will lead to the betterment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Like any adventure film, though, chaos rears its ugly head, affording the picture its greatest strength – its visual virtuosity. As the expedition is cut short by a searing fire, the team is forced to make a violent escape through burning debris, saving the map which points to the location of the much sought-after ‘white gold’.
As the surviving members of the expedition stagger through the charred landscape, the world seems indifferent to their plight, concluding with an finale that is worth purchase alone.
Special Features: Letter Never Sent has joined The Criterion Collection at #601, sparsely packaged as a bare bones one disc, accompanied with an essay by film scholar Dina Iordanova, who does a thorough effort at establishing the film's historical context.
Overall: The story may be rudimentary, but the lasting affect isn’t. Both director and cinematographer (Kalatozov and Urusevsky) regularly employ stunning visuals in wide angles to construct dense, grand enclosures, in which human forms are dwarfed. The effect is relentless, with bustling images that viscerally grab your throat and mind, and don’t let go. Prior to this release, Francis Coppola had a California archive maintain the only copy in North America. Luckily, The Criterion Collection saved it from disappearing forever.
Rent or Buy: Buy
