Vote First, Ask Questions Later.
It's a shame that the movie Bob Roberts was such a commercial flop, and it's especially unjust that it has sank, virtually without a trace, at a time when its message is more relevant than it has ever been. The movie, which is written and directed by Tim Robbins in 1992, takes the form of a mocumentory following the campaign trail of a Republican senatorial candidate called Bob Roberts.
Bob is a folk singer - in fact, he's very much a right-wing Bob Dylan, as is evidenced by the style of his music and the hilarious parodies of Dylan album covers and music videos. The movie covers Bob Roberts as he preaches his deeply worrying ideology to crowds of adoring fans via the medium of folk rock concerts and populist television appearances. Roberts is accompanied at all times by his long-time friend Lukas Hart (played by Alan Rickman), a former CIA agent and participant in the Iran-Contra affair. Hart and Roberts are co-founders of a charity organisation called 'Broken Dove', which is ostensibly aimed at getting kids off of drugs. A tenacious reporter makes it his mission to reveal the truth about the charity's involvement in gun and drug-running... with unfortunate consequences.
Gore Vidal plays the incumbent senator - a man who is slandered by the Roberts campaign early in the race. He's a man of principle, and of conviction - sadly, he's the kind of thoughtful and honest politician that only exists as a literary invention (Jed Bartlett in the West Wing being another example).
From start to finish, the movie is a masterpiece peppered with fantastic performances from a range of supporting characters. The movie is set at the period of time when America is poised to invade Iraq for the first time - certain parts of the movie make you feel as if we're just following the same footsteps in the sand with the current Iraq war, since we're just repeating the same script from the first. The first Gulf War is often cited as an example of benign multilateral action - an action that was almost universally supported by the people. The movie Bob Roberts reminds us that it was never so clear cut, and that a majority of Americans were opposed to the war right up until the point it was inevitable.
It's not available on DVD in the UK (alas), but I would recommend checking it out for a thought-provoking example of how it is possible for unpalatable characters to inject themselves into the political system through the manipulation of emotional buttons.
Bob is a folk singer - in fact, he's very much a right-wing Bob Dylan, as is evidenced by the style of his music and the hilarious parodies of Dylan album covers and music videos. The movie covers Bob Roberts as he preaches his deeply worrying ideology to crowds of adoring fans via the medium of folk rock concerts and populist television appearances. Roberts is accompanied at all times by his long-time friend Lukas Hart (played by Alan Rickman), a former CIA agent and participant in the Iran-Contra affair. Hart and Roberts are co-founders of a charity organisation called 'Broken Dove', which is ostensibly aimed at getting kids off of drugs. A tenacious reporter makes it his mission to reveal the truth about the charity's involvement in gun and drug-running... with unfortunate consequences.
Gore Vidal plays the incumbent senator - a man who is slandered by the Roberts campaign early in the race. He's a man of principle, and of conviction - sadly, he's the kind of thoughtful and honest politician that only exists as a literary invention (Jed Bartlett in the West Wing being another example).
From start to finish, the movie is a masterpiece peppered with fantastic performances from a range of supporting characters. The movie is set at the period of time when America is poised to invade Iraq for the first time - certain parts of the movie make you feel as if we're just following the same footsteps in the sand with the current Iraq war, since we're just repeating the same script from the first. The first Gulf War is often cited as an example of benign multilateral action - an action that was almost universally supported by the people. The movie Bob Roberts reminds us that it was never so clear cut, and that a majority of Americans were opposed to the war right up until the point it was inevitable.
It's not available on DVD in the UK (alas), but I would recommend checking it out for a thought-provoking example of how it is possible for unpalatable characters to inject themselves into the political system through the manipulation of emotional buttons.
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