Director: Nicholas D. Wrathall.
Running Time: 83 minutes.
Synopsis: The many lives of Gore Vidal are admiringly depicted in this entertaining documentary.
The press notes for this definitive documentary on Gore Vidal describe him as a novelist, polemicist, wit, bon vivant, intellectual and radical journalist. Most of us know him as being one of Lisa Simpson’s literary heroes (“These are my only friends: Grown–up nerds like Gore Vidal. And even he’s kissed more boys than I ever will“) and object of smoochy jealousy. Marge Simpson doesn’t know he’s gay (“Girls, Lisa. Boys kiss girls”). Whether you know a lot or bugger all about the cultural titan, you should go and see this film – although Vidal wouldn’t give a damn either way.
Unlike many biopic documentaries, this neither serves as a love letter or character assassination. Is his reputation of being one of the wittiest public figures in the last century warranted? Or is he just a well-spoken egomaniac who loves the light, cameras and attention? The film is undoubtedly celebratory but lets you interpret the man as you will, not challenging any preconceived notions you have of him. If you are appalled by his openness regarding his homosexuality and smutty writing, then the film will only further your hatred. If you enjoy his candidness when discussing his enjoyment of the male form (which he found as interesting as foreign policy, which was a lot), then there will be much to enjoy. What makes Wrathall’s piece so refreshing is that he doesn’t dwell on Vidal’s sexuality, with no in-depth analysis of why or what it means to him or us. He’s gay, he talks about his life partner and occasionally sex, that’s it. Finding a documentary about an LGBT protagonist where their queerness isn’t the main subject matter is surprisingly rare.
The man has always been akin to the zeitgeist of American politics and literature and seeing his rolodex of friends and admirers is nothing short of astounding. It starts early as he’s born into a family of politicians, his dad had an affair with Amelia Earhart and young Gore (not his real name) was practically cousins with the Bouviers. He would grow up to practise shooting with Tennessee Williams and JFK, go holidaying with Paul Newman and play host to practically every megastar worth their salt in the US from the 1960s onwards. If it seems like the film gets a bit name-droppy, it does, but only as a means of displaying how deeply rooted he was in American culture, popular and otherwise. While many talking heads (like the late Christopher Hitchens) discuss this, it is best represented by the incredible archive footage of Vidal’s historical television appearances, be they debates with his right-wing nemesis or defending his explicit literary efforts. His was a vital life story and it played out before the cameras. He is the antithesis of the Peter Andres and Kerry Katonas of today, for as they display their lives like an open wound, Vidal expressed his world view, often profoundly controversial, not for self promotion, but for the betterment of understanding from those watching.
He continued to be a thorn in the side of the political establishment until he died. While he was a staunch and vocal liberal, he was never afraid to criticise the American Left, be it Obama or Kennedy, the latter of whom was a personal friend of his. He is a complex and fascinating character who is easy to describe but difficult to define. He is clearly the focus of Wrathall’s film, but it is as much about America as the man himself. We see the country through his eyes, from a young soldier to the grandfather of political discourse; the USA needed Gore Vidal as much as he needed it. Theirs is a symbiotic relationship that makes for compelling, often funny and occasionally moving cinema that is well worth your time.
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Jelperman
Dec 6, 2013 at 2:27 am
” young Gore (not his real name) was”
Correction: his full name was Eugene Luther Gore Vidal
So it was his real name.