The War Room

Rating:
Summary: Damage Control
Review: "The War Room" is an interesting documentary that shows you just exactly what goes on behind the scenes of a presidential campaign and all of the problems that can arise. Mostly centered around the Clinton campaign, we get a look at a man who is determined to be the next President of the United States. James Carville and George Stephanopoulos are the main brains behind the campaign, and they show it with their rapid thinking and reactions. The road to the White House proves to be a bumpy one for Clinton and company, as scandals surface and tabloid articles flood the newsstands. The people behind the campaign of Bill Clinton never get a break as they always have to be on their toes and figure out damage control. Even though you know how it all ends, it is still a tense and shocking film.

What I love the most about this documentary is that there is no overall narrator, and there really isn't an agenda to it. The film doesn't force-feed you a likable Clinton. The film's real purpose is to show you what happens during these campaigns. Even though it's centered around Clinton, this film really could've been about anyone. The film doesn't sugarcoat anything as it gives you the raw footage and shows you how both sides can play dirty. It was amazing to watch Carville and Stephanopoulos work the way they did, as I had no idea how much of an important role they played in Clinton's campaign.

I think this documentary can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in how the system works. You really don't even have to like Clinton in order to enjoy it, as the film isn't trying to make it look like Clinton is a saint or anything like that. It is about how dirty people in these campaigns can fight, and it occurs on both sides. And since there is no overall narrator, there is really nothing in here that tells you that you should feel a certain way about it all. The DVD contains no special features, which is a shame.

I really enjoyed "The War Room," and I'm not a real big fan of politics. I think it presents an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes. If you're looking for an entertaining documentary that is funny and tense, then this is definitely something you should consider checking out. A big triumph on all fronts, if you want my honest opinion. -Michael Crane

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Look at Political Campaigns
Review: I happened to catch this documentary as I was reading "My Life" by Bill Clinton, it brought to life all of the hustle and bustle of his first Presidental campaign.

The real people involved in Clinton's first campaign for President are better characters than most actors. James Carville and George Stephanopoulos are the main focus of this film and they are true heroes. Clinton has moments where he shows all of his Southern charm but the real workhorses are Carville and Stephanopoulos who brave polls, reporters and other anti-Clinton politicians. It is an insiders view on how a campaign is won or lost behind the scenes just as easily as in front of all America. But is does make you question if the person who ends up in office is all they are cracked up to be or just a puppet pulled by the strings attached to his campaign managers.

A great film to watch if you love politics or if you are reading Bill Clinton's book. It gives an honest representation of how the wheels spin and the tides change at a moments notice. This film will convince you that political campaigns are calculated almost as professionally as a war and can take on the same persona.

Rating:
Summary: Carville & Stephanopoulos run the Clinton War Room in '92
Review: This celebrated documentary provides a bird's eye view into the inner sanctum of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus spent three weeks shot 33 hours of film, which was later combined with news footage to capture the cause-and-effect relationship between what happened inside "The War Room" and the election of the president. There is no voice over narration to this documentary, just clips spliced together. The dynamic behind it all is the Fire and Ice duo of chief Clinton strategist James Carville and director of communications George Stephanopoulos. Of course, both titles are gross simplifications of their roles in the campaign, and it is impossible not to see "The War Room" as being one of the inspirations for "The West Wing."

What stands out in watching this documentary is the complete sense that this is what it was really like, which, in the end, is more impressive than the fact that these guys won the election. Here you get to see the infamous Clinton "quick response" strategy at work, where every attack by the opponent is crushed in an immediate barrage of rhetoric. For me the most memorable sequences were when the Clinton brain trust discover the Bush-Quayle campaign is having its campaign signs printed in Brazil rather than in the U.S., Carville becomes emotional in the final staff meeting of the Clinton War Room, and when he and Stephanopoulos find themselves unsure as to how they are supposed to address the man who is now the president-elect.

From the perspective of today it is interesting to compare the Carville and Stephanopoulos we see behind closed doors with their more public personas as talking heads. The Jim and Mary (Matlin) traveling road show that keeps Carville in the political spotlight today might get more of the publicity, but the one who has impressed me the most is Stephanopoulos, whose work on the Sunday morning political roundtable "This Week" established his reputation as one of the most objective and restrained political analysts on the tube of either party affiliation. That assessment was codified this past year when Stephanopoulos replaced Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts as the hosts of the show. "The War Room" shows not only where he paid his dues, but gives him his bone fides as well.

The final irony is that the one clip showing Al Gore giving a campaign speech is more dynamic than anything we saw during the 2000 election.