#602: HEGEDUS, Chris & PENNEBAKER, D. A.: The War Room (1993)

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HEGEDUS, Chris & PENNEBAKER, D. A. (United States)
The War Room [1993]
Spine #602
Blu-ray


The 1992 presidential election was a triumph not only for Bill Clinton but also for the new breed of strategists who guided him to the White House — and changed the face of politics in the process. For this thrilling, behind-closed-doors account of that campaign, renowned cinema vérité filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker captured the brainstorming and bull sessions of Clinton's crack team of consultants — especially James Carville and George Stephanopoulos, who became media stars in their own right as they injected a savvy, youthful spirit and spontaneity into the process of campaigning. Fleet-footed and entertaining, The War Room is a vivid document of a political moment whose truths ("it's the economy, stupid!") still ring in our ears.

96 minutes
Color
2.0 Surround
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2012
Directors





Chris Hegedus was 41 and D. A. Pennebaker was 68 when they directed The War Room.

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Sixteen-page booklet featuring an essay by writer Louis Menand.

Commentary

None.

Return of the War Room

A 2008 documentary by Hegedus and Pennebaker in which advisors James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, and others reflect on the effect that the Clinton war room had on the way campaigns are run.
Pieces

In which the filmmakers discuss the difficulties of shooting in the campaign’s fast-paced environment.
Panel discussion

Hosted by the William J. Clinton Foundation, featuring Carville, Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, journalist Ron Brownstein, and surprise guest Bill Clinton.
Interview

With strategist Stanley Greenberg on the evolution of polling.
Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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