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October 23, 2006

Death of a President

Thankfully, despite the level of vitriol leveled at President Bush over the past six years, there have been no reports of anyone seriously attempting to kill him. Death of a President is the closest I've heard of, and with luck it will remain so.

"Death of a President" is set up as a documentary investigating the assassination of President George Walker Bush roughly eighteen months after the event. It begins with a woman speaking in Arabic (I think) about the shooter, asking why he didn't think about what would happen before he pulled the trigger. We then jump back to the events leading up to the assassination, with interviews of various involved individuals including members of the President's staff, his secret service detail, and a police commissioner from Chicago, where the main events take place.

The film is absolutely riveting for the first 60 minutes. The viewer knows what's coming, but not when or how, and the use of real footage of the president makes the film eerily realistic. The filmmakers build the tension admirably, giving the viewer quick shots of security camera footage interspersed with shots of demonstrators outside the building where the President is speaking, shots of the President, and snippets of interview footage. When the moment arrives, the director manages to notch up the tension even more, detailing the FBI's efforts to track down the shooter and the doctors' efforts to save the President.

Once they arrest someone, however, the film shifts gears and its appeal will tend to vary based on the viewer's politics. Much as I tend to disagree with the politics of the filmmakers, however, I should note that the events it portrays are sadly too plausible, with a few exceptions. The biggest problem, however, is that after doing such a great job of putting the viewer on tenterhooks for the first two-thirds of the film, the conclusion just lacks that same level of punch.

And, as a military guy, I do wish that filmmakers would spend just a few dollars to do a little research. It's a little frustrating to see a garden-variety M16 with a scope referred to as a 'sniper rifle,' or pictures of soldiers wearing uniforms that bear at best tangential resemblance to military uniforms. Despite those nits, however, "Death of a President" is a nifty little film that, while its subject matter is decidedly grim, offers an intriguing look into an alternate future.

Unfortunately, it appears some people don't want to look at that future. I am informed that most of the major theater chains (all but Landmark Theatres and Pacific Theatres, as of this writing) are choosing not to show the film, and that CNN.com, The History Channel Online, and NPR have rejected ads for the film after having accepted them. I don't know how well the film would do in general release under normal conditions, but it seems wholly inappropriate to me that the film not get a chance just because people are uncomfortable with the subject matter. Interested viewers can see more about the film at its web site, and if you're interested in seeing it and the local theaters are refusing to show it, give the theater a call and ask why not. A little public pressure would not be a bad thing at all, I think.