This is really a pretty remarkable film. As a story, it's fairly interesting - a callous TV news cameraman softens in the face of the political turmoil of 1968, and falls in love with a widow. But cinematically, it's a tour de force. The most thrilling portion of this film is the scenes shot on location in Chicago's Grant Park, while the protesters outside the Democratic convention are beaten back by a brutal force of Chicago police officers and National Guardsmen. The part that sticks out in my mind is where the tear gas starts to explode, and we can hear someone say "Watch out, it's real!" At this point, the film turns into something else entirely. The story of the reporter is pushed to the background, and the examination of fact vs. fiction is pushed to the forefront. This is one of the most daring films ever released by a major studio - it almost completely dispenses with narrative convention 2/3 of the way in, and becomes a gripping experimental film. It's not perfect; it does take awhile to get going, for one. But once it gets rolling, this is riveting and chilling.
Review of Medium Cool
