“Forget the myths the media’s created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.”
– Deep Throat, All the President’s Men
These words boomed in the back of my mind as I watched Oliver Stone’s new film W.. In fact, these words have been running through my mind for quite some time, really any time I look at the state of the country, but this film has hit on something. This film is not a damning statement against policy, or even an attack on character. It’s an examination of a man’s life and how he got to where he is now.
The film looks at the man behind the decisions, and, although the film’s focus is on Bush, we get a glimpse of his entire cabinet. We do not see them as figureheads, but as people. People with flaws—human flaws. It’s a dramatization for sure, but one that seems most likely accurate. The people that got us into this mess are exactly that: people.
Watching, you begin to understand that these are people with their own strange neuroses and insecurities. These are deeply flawed people with their own emotional scars and their own personal reasons for doing things.
Except these people are in charge of the country. Their mistakes can and do affect the lives of millions. Some of them are not very bright. Others are but have Machiavellian intentions. But either way, things did get out of hand.
Tags: All the President's Men, Bush Administration, Deep Throat, Oliver Stone, W.
