Definitely dated but interesting as a time capsule, I found this remotely interesting and fascinating in certain moments. This is a view of the late 60s when a presidential campaign followed two major assassinations and occurred during social unrest during a war that most people didn't understand or want. The traumas of this time are seeing through the eyes of a fictional television news cameraman, Robert Forster, and he's both praised and hated as he makes daily round trying to get human interest stories and covering important events leading up to the Democratic National convention in Chicago.
Those expecting a strong dramatic story will be sadly disappointed as the film really doesn't have a structure, just following Forster around, going to different neighborhoods and getting a taste of what he brings to the table that upsets people in regards to how their communities are presented. When he visits a black community with his sound editor, he's given a real look at a community disturbed by lack of genuine representation and unfair press that doesn't show the whole story.
The confrontation gets angry at one point and realistically describes how people don't always speak in ways that translate to total understanding, but towards the end two men make their feelings clear even if Forster knows that there's nothing that he can do just as the man behind the camera because he really has no power. His romance with a single mother (Verma Bloom) seems to be more frivolous at first, but eventually the real issues come out. I'm not sure that I can recommend this film because it does often feel like a two hour lecture, but for political science majors and history buffs, I do think it's a must see. For the most part though, it really is not entertainment. In fact, after a while, it's rather depressing.
Those expecting a strong dramatic story will be sadly disappointed as the film really doesn't have a structure, just following Forster around, going to different neighborhoods and getting a taste of what he brings to the table that upsets people in regards to how their communities are presented. When he visits a black community with his sound editor, he's given a real look at a community disturbed by lack of genuine representation and unfair press that doesn't show the whole story.
The confrontation gets angry at one point and realistically describes how people don't always speak in ways that translate to total understanding, but towards the end two men make their feelings clear even if Forster knows that there's nothing that he can do just as the man behind the camera because he really has no power. His romance with a single mother (Verma Bloom) seems to be more frivolous at first, but eventually the real issues come out. I'm not sure that I can recommend this film because it does often feel like a two hour lecture, but for political science majors and history buffs, I do think it's a must see. For the most part though, it really is not entertainment. In fact, after a while, it's rather depressing.