La Voz

Issue date: 11/20/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: http://www.deathofapresident.com

October 19, 2007: President Bush exits the Economic Club of Chicago only to be greeted by an overwhelming crowd of angry protesters screaming antiwar slogans: "Stop Bush!" "Fight Power!" "Bush is a Fascist!" Despite the hateful onlookers, the President insists on walking the rope line.

Just as the President makes his way down the rope line, the assassin takes his shot, the crowd drops, the president is pushed into a car and rushed to the hospital, only to be pronounced dead from gunshot wounds hours later.

Shortly after the President's assassination, Dick Cheney is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Immediately thereafter, USA Patriot Act III is passed, containing more sweeping revisions, with more government impositions on private lives than ever before.

"Death of a President" directed by Gabriel Range is interspersed with a few key filming elements, including real footage of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, commentary by Bush's speech writers and strategists, and interviews with suspects. Bush's advisers consistently hail him as a manner of honor and integrity, while protesters scream for the death of the president. On top of this are Secret Service Agents commenting on that fateful day-each confessing his own respective feeling of guilt.

The film is presented in a pseudo-documentary manner.

However, much of the time the actors seem to be trying far too hard to remain dramatic. It is exceedingly clear that this film is politically motivated, so if you are politically sensitive, or have any sense of respect for the office of the President, you might want to think twice before going to see this movie. One could probably guess that the creators of this film are not fans of President Bush, or even the United States Government's current direction.

If you can stomach the very concept of the film (which can be difficult), it actually deals with some startling concepts. For instance whether the US is stuck in a war that it cannot win, how politics has changed in the past few years, the government becoming imposingly large and violating the civil liberties of its citizens.

"Death of a President" is sure to challenge whatever notions you hold about the respect for governmental office.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools