By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Morgan Neville | Robert Gordon
Country: united_states
Year: 2015
Running time: 87
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3518012/reference
Beth C. says: “BEST OF ENEMIES is Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville’s documentary film on the subject of the 10 televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley during the 1968 presidential race. The archival footage, the structure of the narrative flow, interviewees’ keen observation of the historical event, the tight editing, and the content itself all lend to the exceptional quality of this film. Gordon and Neville chose to use the televised debates as the core vein of the film, weaving information about each participant’s history and future throughout the sequential confrontations. As the viewer sinks deeper into the controversy, they become increasingly more familiar with each of the men on stage. The film is, arguably, as captivating to the filmgoing audience as the actual debates must have been to the television viewers in 1968. In fact, the engrossing nature of the events is enough to make us forget that these debates represent the end of what was previously known as civility in public discourse. Ever after, debate as political bloodsport would come to dominate the world of entertainment news. Those who have seen this documentary find themselves grappling with their own guilt-over enjoying the film’s tense, riveting face-off while fully realizing how sad and devoid of meaning political news coverage would eventually become.”