Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here, with my review of a film that has just started opening in selected markets, usually in one or two theatres per market. Yes, folks, this is a documentary. In fact, it's a documentary I honestly wasn't looking forward to seeing when I began watching and one that I am ready to proclaim is the first great documentary of 2007.
I’m not sure why it came as such as a shock to me, but this documentary about the life and accomplishments of Ralph Nader is an absolutely fascinating piece of filmmaking. And if you’re one of the many who has sworn off even uttering the name Ralph Nader after he may or may not have spoiled a Democratic victory for the presidency two elections in a row, this film was made just for you.
Before the 2000 election, Nader was primarily known as the forerunner in his never-ending crusade against corporations that thought they could get away with, well, whatever they wanted. He was an idealistic crusader who would never let big companies or government hurt the American people without consequences. He first made a name for himself in 1966, fighting the deathtrap nature of General Motors’ cars. The resulting smear campaign against him by the auto industry and clandestine investigation into his personal life by GM is the stuff of legend and opened the collective eyes of the American people as to the devious nature of corporations. Nader and his collection of hundreds of lawyers, college students, and other consumer advocates led the charge on issues and regulations we all assume have been in place forever: seat belts, nuclear power plant safety, product labels on food. If it weren't for Nader, you wouldn’t get a free plane ticket or other compensation when you get bumped from an oversold flight.
There is a wealth of wonderful interview footage of Nader and his co-conspirators throughout the years, many of who have turned on him since his activities connected with his runs for President. But it remains clear that Nader has no time or energy to grieve for broken friendships, even those that have lasted decades. The man is all business, and his business is the American people. Perhaps the most telling aspect of the portion of the film that deals with his two presidential runs comes from his one-time supporters, all of whom seem to agree on the issues he stands for, but still want him to step down and throw his support behind the Democratic candidate. An equal amount of compelling evidence is presented proving and disproving Nader’s role as an election spoiler, and at this point I don’t know what to believe.
One of the ways I judge documentaries about individuals or groups is whether I have any desire to spend time talking to the subjects after the film ends. After viewing An Unreasonable Man, I would kill to get in a room with Nader and speak with (and be spoken to by) this intelligent and wacky man whose views are so focused that he may not always see the more immediate problems right in front of him or the big picture. Or maybe that's exactly what he sees. No matter what you think of the man (maybe it’s best to walk into this film with a definite opinion of him), there’s no denying how important he has been to the American political landscape and the consumer-rights fight. Nor is it debatable how well this film captures his many faces.
If the film does open near you, keep a watchful eye on any print ads for the film, since Nader has been making personal appearances at some screenings or doing the occasional satellite Q&As. I know he was at a couple screenings opening weekend in D.C. last week, and is schedule to do the Q&A thing this Saturday night in Chicago.
Capone
