It is being called both a “thought-provoking, powerful drama” and “irresponsible” and “disturbing.” It is a film being talked about on both sides of the Atlantic, and at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival where it is the hot ticket.
Death of a President is the controversial mock documentary, produced by the British television network Channel 4, that uses a fictionalized account of the assassination of President George W. Bush as a platform for examining how the War on Terrorism has affected and divided the United States.
Taking a retrospective approach to telling the story of the investigation into the assassination, and using a combination of archival news footage, digital special effects—including the use of super-imposed images of Bush’s head on an actor’s body—and staged scenes, the film is being described by movie critics as a well-crafted, intelligent thriller that explores the issue of just how polarized America has grown since 9/11.
The scene in the photo above (click on it to enlarge) shows the digitally-generated President Bush being gunned down just hours after driving past an anti-war demonstration while doing a talk in Chicago. The two hour drama shows the media storm that develops as Muslims are fingered as the culprits before there is any evidence. Authorities focus on a Syrian-born man in the search for the culprit.
Not surprisingly, Death of a President has been the target of criticism by Bush supporters in this country and in England. Eric Staal of Republicans Abroad in London told the website This Is London, “We’ve seen from early in his presidency the extremes that the political Left are willing to go to vilify him. This takes this vilification to a new and disturbing level. It is an appalling way to treat the head of state of another country.” A White House spokesman said, “This does not dignify a comment.”
But a private screening for press and film industry reps at the Toronto International Film Festival ended with applause from the audience, who were able to look beyond the central theme to judge it on its cinematic merits. According to a report in the Toronto Globe & Mail, the consensus of the crowd was highly favorable, and the movie stayed on the lips of viewers as they talked it up during the rest of the festival.
The film, written and directed by Gabriel Range who previously created two docudramas for the BBC, will have a UK showing on satellite television in October, and just this week producers announced a US theatrical distribution deal with Newmarket Films, distributors of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. They hope for a November release, just in time for the fall elections.
So what do you think? Will you go to see this film if it plays in your city? Take this poll then come back and leave a comment.
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MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann took the occasion of the fifth anniversary of 9/11 to give perhaps the most candid and pointed criticism of President Bush’s handing of the War on Terrorism ever seen on television. In a more than 8 minute editorial, seen here, he faults Bush for squandering an opportunity to capitalize on the goodwill shown our nation in the aftermath of the attacks. It is must see tv.
10 comments ↓
Yes, I’d definitely go see it! If I recall, “V for Vendetta” had the murder of a head of state and you didn’t hear Parliament get their knickers in a knot over it.
Sakes alive.
I would definitely go see this.
For all the criticism I have of Bush I find it tacky to depict the assassination of a sitting head of the country.
The technology interests me more than the “story” so I’d see the film on that merit alone. I’m sure the controversy will make it a popular ticket.
While I have a few qualms about DOAP, I’d still go to see it. As for Olbermann, I’ve been watching since he ripped into Rumsfeld a few weeks ago. The guys GREAT when he’s pissed at the administration!
Bush assassinated? Didn’t people in the Toronto screening cheer during that scene?
President Bush is the World’s most hated person. I think he’s even above Osama Bin Laden and Sadaam Hussein. There’s no doubt I’ll be seeing this film.
jc
Not sure, depending on the reviews, I guess. It smacks of stunt moviemaking and that does not bode well for a politically-charged film. Then again, it comes from London’s Channel 4 which means that it might look at the issues in a more objective way than anything produced by US studios (say “United 93 ” or “World Trade Center”). The fact that people cheered in Toronto can’t be easily separated from anti-American sentiment elsewhere.
Michael Winterbottom’s “The Road to Guantanamo” was also produced by Chanel 4 and received equally ravisihing applause and stand up ovations when it was screened at international film festivals (it mixed interviews with men who had been held at Guantanano with re-created scenes or their inprisonment). It got lousy reviews once it got to the US and was screened in NYC for less than a minute (I still would like to see it to see if it merited the local critical drubbing).
I’d definitely see the film
I can’t wait to see it.
Coming at this from my POV, which is that President Bush and his minions have disgraced the U.S., squandered a golden opportunity after 9/11 — we had the world, the entire world, virtually, with us — and yet, there’s something disturbing about using a sitting head of state in a fictional assassination film.
I know nothing about the man behind this film, but it smacks somehow of crass opportunism. I could be wrong.
DAY OF THE JACKAL comes out of the same sort of premise, yet DeGaulle was dead. I don’t know, it seems somehow … not right. Playing with reality …
That said, perhaps because I’m a hypocrite, I’ll probably go when it comes to NYC.