Review of Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia (2013) by Rasha A — 06 Jun 2014

Rare is the documentary like this one that is entertaining, informative and thought-provoking, with a particular highlight being the debates between Gore Vidal and William Buckley in 1968.(I would have stepped out to get some popcorn but I was afraid I would miss something.) But then again, notice who this is about...

To its credit, "Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia" allows its garrulous subject to tell his and America's story through a series of interviews conducted shortly before his death. Along the way, we learn about his not only writing history, but making some of it, doing his bit for the sexual revolution in the bargain. That's not to mention his putting his words into action, twice running for political office and even memorably campaigning at an unemployment office at one point. Even though he was clearly ahead of the curve, this did not come without risk in a country that was not ready for such opinions, forcing him to write in Hollywood for a while which he actually enjoyed. At the same time, he was also capable of the odd conspiracy theory. But just because you are paranoid does not mean the NSA is not listening to every word you say.

I had never before considered there being a connection between Gore Vidal and Christopher Hitchens even though on the surface they might seem similar. But just as they came from different places as Vidal started a novelist and Hitchens a journalist, they also ended up in vastly different places, briefly crossing philsophically in the night. If one were of a pop culture bent, then one could definitely think of their relationship like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. In any case, I still continued to read Hitchens, even after he went to the dark side.

By the way does anybody know where I can get a copy of that photograph of Vidal, Norman Mailer & Kurt Vonnegut?