Review of The Candidate (1972) by Wayman I — 14 Aug 2008

Ehhhhhhhhhh, not really the "classic" I was expecting. True, Redford and especially Boyle give staggering and tragic performances but I couldn't get over the fact that the film makers were playing some sort of private joke on their audience.

The picture is either as naive as it appears (yes men and campaign managers do NOT run the country) or it is an extremely dark and perverse commentary which serves not so much as a story but as an experience.

This film disorients its audience, who, though they may believe that they understand what's going on are truly as in the dark as the titular character of the peice, Bill McKay. And all the while the creators of the peice are silently snickering at their viewers for beleiving such nonsense.