Review of The War Room (1993) by Phillip D — 01 Feb 2012

A fascinating documentary about James Carville, George Stephanopoulos and the revolutionary campaign the two operated which got Bill Clinton elected as president in 1993. Unlike other political documents, this one is wonderfully unfocused and brief, latching onto moments of excitement, anger and joy rather than policies, papers and statistics.

Carville and Stephanopoulos were made for the camera- the former particularly- and each brings a special kind of charisma and energy to the film that makes it easy to see how they ran the campaign with such passion, and why the army behind them was so dedicated.

In a wonderful moment in the film, shortly before Clinton's election, Stephanopoulos talks to somebody on the phone- I can't remember nor is it relevant who that somebody was. He tells the person that he broke down crying on the way to the office that morning, yet, conscious of the camera in front of him, he keeps an uneasy smile on his face.

Here is a man who has made a living out of keeping a poker face, but as he sees the campaign's finish, he struggles to keep that mask on. Having gotten used to his expressions throughout the film, we sense a new bluff behind his eyes; he is afraid, afraid that his use is ending, afraid that the happiest years of his life are coming to an end.

In a heartfelt and equally powerful speech, Carville reveals the same feelings out loud. These are hard-working men, filled with passion and hope, a belief in the possibilities of change, and Chris Hegedus and D.

A. Pennebaker capture this spirit with the same unobtrusive but totally revealing style they used to capture the spirit of rock and roll in the sixties. The result is an exhilarating and refreshingly human look at politics, and what it takes to win a presidential campaign.