The Hunting Of The President

Synopsis: An in-depth investigation based on the New York Times best-selling book by Gene Lyons and Joe Conason, into a 10 year campaign to destroy President Bill Clinton.

After 2004, the year of the documentary, it was only a matter of time before the New Year brought its first high profile offering. The Hunting of The President may well lack the timely resonance of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 or the impact of Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, but anyone familiar with former President Clinton's infamous relationship with Monica Lewinsky (and who isn't?) will be fascinated by how much more there is to that story.

Even before his Presidency the young Clinton drew hatred and spite from Republicans throughout America, despite the fact that during his term in office unemployment in the US was at an all-time low, inflation was the lowest in 30 years, crime was down and there was even a surplus in the budget. If America under Clinton was such a good place to be why did the Republicans dislike him so much? The answer, apparently, is that he was the first Democratic President since Franklin. D. Roosevelt to achieve a second term in office.

A massive media campaign tried to discredit him, the Whitewater investigation explored the President's dealings in real estate, his sex life was under constant scrutiny and accusations of sexual harassment were rife. The President couldn't do anything right, not that he did himself any favours with the Lewinsky incident. The fascinating thing about this documentary is not necessarily how the witch-hunt affected Clinton but more so how the blameless were trampled on. Innocent lives were ruined as members of A.R.I.A. (Alliance for the Rebirth of an Independent America), money-grabbing redneck private detectives and even so-called friends of Clinton stopped at nothing to destroy his name. Harry Thomason's and Nickolas Perry's film brings a human dimension to American politics that is rarely seen.

Beautifully put together, The Hunting of The President once again proves the importance of researchers and film archivists to contemporary issue-attacking film-making. Based on the best-selling book by Gene Lyons and Joe Conasson, this film documents Clinton's career from the early Arkansas days to his impeachment trial. Anyone with merely a prurient interest in the whole Lewinsky debacle will be astonished how that indiscretion was just the tip of the iceberg. A must-see.

 

 

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