Review of Medium Cool (1969) by Manisha D — 21 Oct 2013

Medium Cool was a radical and revolutionary slice of docudrama when released in 1969. A strange confluence of documentary and narrative (at least a semblance of one), the film tells the story of a rogue news cameraman (Robert Forster) caught up in the turmoil of the times in 1968.

Mass media, black suppression, poverty, war and political anxiety all play a part in Haskell Wexler's subversive masterwork. Despite it being dated because of the time that it takes place in, the film left a mark on other filmmakers who would go on to follow its example, whether they were serious or silly with it.

There's definitely a film nouveau influence on Medium Cool, and Robert Forster is one of the coolest cats around. He's terrific in it. My only problem with the film is that it does feel a little heavy-handed at times, and the themes that it's tackling are a bit obvious, and they really shouldn't be in a film where you're mixing fact and fiction.

Maybe that's just me though, and maybe it's just because we're all a little more self-aware than we were in 1968. It can be a mixed bag for someone expecting a concrete narrative, but if you relax and open your mind to it, the film will soak you in some very vivid imagery and also give you something to think about.