The Best Man (1964)

One of my all time favorites.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Director Franklin J. Schaffner tackled ruthless political campaigning with his 1964 film The Best Man. Starring Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson, the film takes its inspiration from a screenplay written by political writing giant Gore Vidal. Two men vying for the endorsement of the former president, one will stop at nothing, while the other is determined to retain his dignity, The Best Man illustrates the journey of both. The Best Man is an engaging political drama revealing a behind-the-scenes look at the depths some will take to attain the highest power in the land.Two men of the same party, William Russell (Henry Fonda) and Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) have engaged in a political in-fight to gain the endorsement of their party's former president. Both men are not without their faults; William Russell has a reputation for being a philanderer, Joe Cantwell is a ruthless politician who is determined to not let anyone impede his way to the top. Nearing their party's convention, it is crucial for one of the two, the top contenders, to gain the endorsement of the aging president. The president, however, hasn't made any indication of who he will support, even at a dinner in which he would have typically announced his endorsement, he remains neutral. As the convention draws near, the stakes rise and both men are tested to their limits; how far will they go for power?The Best Man has a wonderful opening montage in which the audience meets the two candidates, instantly learning their tendencies toward decency. Henry Fonda is, of course, the one the audience wants to side with, has he ever played a character that was anything less than lily-white? I have an interesting relationship with Henry Fonda, I always adore him when I happen to see him in something, yet have never sought out any films because he was in them. I have a mind that tends towards the obsessive in that when I see someone I enjoy watching, I seek out everything they've ever done. Anyway, Henry Fonda was as wonderful in this film as he is in every other role I've enjoyed of his. Also, a welcome surprise was seeing Kevin McCarthy in this film so soon after seeing him and enjoying his role in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (mental note: must check out more of his work). Having done all my undergraduate work in Political Science and being aware of copious amounts of polling data, I found it interesting that the names they chose for the film "CANTwell" and MerWIN. On a surface level, when only thinking about the film, it becomes clear that the subtext establishes that Cantwell will not win, and Merwin, will, in fact, emerge the victor. Many cues clearly indicate that this film was written by a political insider. First of all, It is rare for a political film to address in-fighting between members of the same party. Typically, the main crux of political films deals with the ultimate battle between the members of the opposite party. Likewise, it is interesting to see a film where the action of the film is centered around a party convention rather than an election. The Best Man is a wonderful film dealing with a political theme; it has aged incredibly well, with communism being the only outdated concept, which is easily substituted for the woeful group of the time. The Best Man is a wonderful puzzle all the way to the end, with the President's ultimate goal being realized in the end. A film that keeps the audience engaged all the way through the increasingly suspenseful and exciting final act, The Best Man is a film to see for political enthusiasts and novices alike.

Competing for their party's presidential nomination, two popular United States politicians consider using underhanded slander tactics to gain an advantage in this scathing look at the American political process. The presidential hopefuls are played by Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson respectively, however, the best performance in the film comes from Lee Tracy who received an Oscar nomination for his role as the cynical, terminally ill incumbent president who cannot decide whether the unadventurous Fonda or the spineless Robertson is better to endorse. Full of moralistic dialogue, the film feels a little preachy at times and Fonda and Robertson are painted a little too much like polar opposites for credibility, but either way, the film offers a memorable insight into dirty politics and the systems in place that breed dirty politics. There is great irony in how Fonda and Robertson spend more time working out whether or not to take down one another than they do on debating issues and policies at hand. There is also much to consider with Tracy equating Fonda making a decision on whether to take down Robertson at the same level of making a political decision in the best interest of the nation. The film has curious time capsule status too these days, or at least in terms of the tactic proposed in order to take Robertson down. Times have certainly changed, but have politics changed that much?

The movie's a cynical look behind-the-scenes at American presidential politics. Conflicted idealist candidate Russell (Fonda) needs just a few more delegate votes to go over the top. But can he play the kind of political hardball necessary to get them. At the same time, ruthless candidate Cantwell (Robertson) won't hesitate to throw dirt from the past to discredit him. Trouble is that Russell will have to lower himself to Cantwell's level to stave off the attack, something that would injure his strong sense of character.Writer Vidal does a good job of dramatizing the conflict between ideals and practical politics. We all respect strong ideals, so Russell comes off as the good guy, conflicted, but basically what we think presidents are supposed to be. What I like is Vidal's questioning of whether ideals are enough qualification for the highest office. That comes about through Cantwell's questioning of whether his opponent is decisive enough to be a commander-in-chief. Of course, Cantwell is nothing if not decisive; he knows what he wants. On the other hand, Russell wavers when confronted with a difficult choice. After all, he's got many more norms than his rival to consider. However, Cantwell points out that such wavering could be fatal for a chief executive in a dire situation. Of course, this important point tends to get lost in the good guy – bad guy colorations between the two chief candidates. But the point is a telling one as it gets reflected in the movie's outcome, when Russell disqualifies himself from candidacy. Note too, that Cantwell is finally undone by the sheer drive that causes him to fatally misjudge Russell's character. After that, the movie leaves off on a rather ambiguous note despite the symbolism of an upward bound escalator. As a result, we're left wondering whether the best man has really won, especially since Merwin, the remaining candidate, remains a cypher.Director Schaffner does an excellent job of capturing the hurly-burly of a nominating convention. Knots of people are constantly bouncing off each other like billiard balls. How anything cogent could come out of such apparent disorder is hard to believe, but I guess it does. Meanwhile, writer Vidal's particular dislikes are also pretty close to the surface, especially as directed toward southern politicians, along with segregationists in general. At the same time, he appears to take the slimy deal making, blackmail, and betrayals, as an orthodox part of politics-as-usual. My only real complaint is with comedian-turned-actor, Shelley Berman. He plays his informer role almost as if it were shtick. His craven mannerisms are more comical than convincing. Too bad, because otherwise the movie manages a persuasive air of realism.All in all, the movie stands the test of time pretty well. Issues like legal segregation have faded, but the mechanics of political deal-making, et al., likely remain in effect. I'm glad the film doesn't take the easy way out by reinforcing good-guys-always-win beliefs, a regular feature of 50's films. Sure, Cantwell comes across as something of a political bad guy. But sometimes, bad guys can say incisive things, as Cantwell does here. While good guys, even though basically good, can be too cerebral for the job. And that seems to me an important lesson to note.

Political movies of the past 25 years usually involve juxtaposed actual news footage, or far fetched conspiracies replete with multiple murders, action heroes and Femme Fatales. The "Best Man" is from a simpler (better?) time, and challenges a viewer to ask "what would I do?" in the situation confronting Henry Fonda's presidential candidate Bill Russell.Oh sure, political conventions probably never actually played out in the manner portrayed, but who cares? The platform for a delightfully arrogant and power hungry Cliff Robertson is a hoot, and, as always, Henry Fonda just flat out looks like a President.Fans of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will love the quirky Shelly Berman character, and those of us old enough to remember the Muriel Cigar commercials can recall what a babe Edie Adams was. Catching it on TCM is wonderful, as the absence of commercial interruption enhances the story line and pacing. Enjoy it.