There once was a time when a presidential examination took a distanced stand of blind veneration, refusing the temptation of salacious details to celebrate the life and times of an American leader who worked his way through the oily political process to take command of a nation. Some of these individuals found themselves directing a country in dire need of guidance, others barely made a dent in the four years provided, yet their media portraits were always dependably aloof and tastefully patriotic. We do not live in an era of respectful/mythological biographical distance any longer. Whether or not this is a positive development is for you to decide.
"Clinton" is a PBS "American Experience" documentary that dares to scrutinize the saga of William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. A charismatic commander-in-chief, Clinton loved his country, his ability to instigate change, and short skirts on women. Cursed with a presidency mired in scandal, Clinton's story is not a simple one of governmental ambition and dreams realized, but a dissection of impropriety and shocking resiliency, asking viewers to spend nearly four hours of precious T.V. time digging through the salacious details of a soiled presidency. The production's quest to acquire an objective look at the Clinton years results in a lopsided documentary reflecting its turbulent subject. The details are extraordinary, as are the wild swings of fortune and failure. However, at the center of this multimedia voyage into the wilds of an unsettled man lies a critical illumination of thought and purpose. Although Bill Clinton (Bubba to some, Slick Willie to others) lead a life of unsavory behaviors and crummy decisions, he also created an indelible trajectory of a proud American rising to power, using his intellectual gifts and powers of seduction to secure himself a place in history. However tainted his legacy has become, the truth is simple: he's had one hell of a ride.
Since participation from Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton was a pipe dream, the producers have elected to utilize endless hours of news footage, pictures, and audio recordings available about the pair. With their every move captured during the presidential years, "Clinton" is fully loaded with meaningful visions of glory and distress, many familiar to the average viewer, with a few surprises tucked in here and there. Also offering commentary are interviews with political writers (Joe Klein, Christiane Amanpour), observers, and top aides (Dee Dee Meyers, James Carville), who witnessed intimate behavior that helps to clarify the mindset of these enigmatic subjects. Narrated by Campbell Scott, "Clinton" supplies a crucial understanding of political moves and personal dilemmas, highlighting the President as a man driven to help America, yet enslaved by his destructive urges and rolling waves of uncertainty. There's a lot to absorb, but "Clinton" organizes the data and opinions with steely direction, providing viewers with enough evidence to finally consider Clinton as the fallible human being he was.
"Part One" (110:11, Airdate – 2/20/12)
William Jefferson Clinton was born in 1946, raised in Arkansas by mother Virginia and his alcoholic stepfather Roger, who triggered the boy's development of a cheery public presence shrouding internalized strife, thus establishing a critical duality that would come to define Clinton's political years. Maturing into a young man with civic interests, Clinton was inspired by a White House handshake opportunity with idol President Kennedy (astonishingly, there's actually film footage of this moment), solidifying his eager direction into politics. Upon arrival at Yale in 1971, Clinton met Hillary Rodham, a standoffish but intensely bright woman who the freshman was immediately drawn to, finding a shared interest in the potential of government service, ultimately morphing into a power couple with their wedding in 1975. A political natural, Clinton returned to Arkansas to shake up its population, hoping to make his mark through improvements, including an unpopular reorganization of the state's roadways. Losing and then regaining the trust of the people with his extreme sensitivity to political performance, Clinton decided to shoot for the presidency in 1987, intending to lure back "Reagan Democrats" in what was ultimately an aborted run for office when word of extramarital affairs began to surface.
Returning to the race in 1991, Clinton found himself a front-runner in no time, winning over naysayers with his tireless commitment to campaigning and youthful vigor, enhanced by the addition of running mate Al Gore. Inching close the presidency, Clinton was soon thwacked with additional allegations of infidelity and intense scrutiny over possible draft dodging. Sworn in as president in 1993, Clinton, eager to implement his own version of hope and change, was quickly shot down by a maddening political divide, with Washington games killing his determination to overhaul health care (a job complicated by Hillary's control issues), while the hastily considered "Don't ask, don't tell" policy took center stage. With the 24-hour news cycle mentality emerging in the early 1990s, the Clintons were besieged by media attention, with their every move turned into front-page news, a problem exacerbated by scandals involving the suicide of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster and the emergence of the Whitewater controversy. Also adding strain to Clinton's leadership abilities was the development of international hostilities, with tragedies in Somalia and Rwanda reinforcing the limited military experience of the Commander-in-Chief. The episode concludes with an examination of Republican Newt Gingrich and his declaration of war on the Democrats, causing further damage to Clinton's ability to lead on his own terms.
"Part Two" (107:34, Airdate – 2/21/12)
Fearing a loss of authority and purpose, Clinton brought in Dick Morris to help introduce a change of attitude from the White House, now facing renewed attacks from Gingrich, who enjoyed asserting his newfound power, embracing the media spotlight. This shake-up pushed Hillary aside, reducing a co-president role, much to her disappointment. The 1995 Oklahoma bombing helped to adjust Clinton's public persona, stepping up to comfort America, while a war in Bosnia threatened to undermine his authority once again, finding the President reluctant to enter "his own Vietnam." 1995 also brought budgetary woes and partisan bickering to the forefront, triggering a government shutdown, highlighting reluctance to compromise from both Clinton and Gingrich. The introduction of Kenneth Starr into the Whitewater investigation brought renewed focus on the President, who soared into a second term with a concentration on small victories, disrupting Republican rule. Starr's obsessive quest to punish Clinton hit the jackpot in the form of a White House intern by the name of Monica Lewinsky. This perfect storm of Lewinsky, Paula Jones (who accused Clinton of sexual harassment), and Whitewater created worldwide attention, exposing the President's lies while allowing Starr a golden opportunity to complete his expensive task to extinguish Clinton's career. With the Commander-in-Chief's public and private life turned upside down, the introduction of Al Qaeda crept into view. And as the Republicans pushed for impeachment, killing presidential momentum, Hillary began her ascension to power, running for a New York senate seat with Clinton by her side.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) is tasked with juggling countless film and video sources, weaving them into a patchwork quilt of visual history that blends as seamlessly as possible with fresh interview footage shot in 2011. The historical effect is communicated successfully, with a commendable effort to produce a uniform look to the documentary, weaving around in time with noticeable downgrades in resolution, but never distracting from the topics at hand. Colors are generally well represented, with robust hues emerging from clothing, while news footage carries a satisfactory sense of White House exteriors and campaign trail realism. Interviewee skintones look healthy, adding the most sense of detail to the viewing experience, with facial features supplying HD textures to study. Television footage is expectedly soft and aged. Shadow detail is expressive with location backgrounds, maintaining depth. "Clinton" is best appreciated as cleanly executed jigsaw puzzle of various news reports and photographs.
The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix only carries out into the surrounds during crowd sequences, to provide an exciting feeling of mass movement. A few scoring cues expand as well, creating a circular hold of musical emoting. The mix plays with a frontal force to best lock into its tirelessly expositional mode, with Scott's narration sounding firm and deep, providing a hearty feel for information overload. The interviews are equally controlled, expressing differences in accents and passion about the subject matter, free of distortion. Low-end is nonexistent. News footage is unsurprisingly thin, retaining its period presentation, though the production does a fine job establishing a flow of modern conversation with 20-year-old media evidence, avoiding any disturbingly shrill notes.
"Clinton" is absorbing, detailing such remarkable political schizophrenia and media saturation, while throttling sympathy for a man who repeatedly dug his own grave. The extended run time goes by in a flash, which is the highest compliment one can pay to a political documentary. We're miles away from stories about future presidents chopping down cherry trees or obtaining false teeth. "Clinton" is a stinging remainder that every lie and hustle is now captured by 1,000 cameras, solidifying a legacy of leadership instantaneously.
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