Silver City
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—Review by Darrel Manson
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
Dicky Pilager is running for Governor in Colorado. One would be naive indeed not to recognize that Pilager’s character is designed as a George W. Bush clone. He’s the latest generation of a political dynasty. He is very good when on script, but on his own, his mouth will get him in serious trouble. He doesn’t seem very bright (although a sham website makes the point that his GPA was higher than President Bush’s). He’s very closely tied to big business. On top of all this, Chris Cooper seems to be “channeling� the President in his portrayal of the candidate, and the comparison is not meant to be flattering to the President.
Silver City is John Sayles’ comment on the state of the political process. Among the things he wants to show us is that the marketing of a candidate takes precedence over substance so candidates like Pilager learn quickly to avoid having to speak extemporaneously or to answer surprise questions. Instead they learn to stay “on message,� that is, to say only what they plan to say, especially if it fits into a sound bite.
Sayles’ films often deal with appearances as opposed to reality. Prime examples are Lone Star and Sunshine State. Here, too, it’s clear that Sayles is showing us a public image of a politician while letting us know that the real person is quite different. On camera or in prepared events, Pilager looks and sounds strong and confident. In a scene with reporters but no handler, he is obviously incapable of serious problem solving.
The film does have some important points to make. Unfortunately, many of the issues get buried under a mystery plot that distracts us from what I think is the real reason for this film. The mystery involves a body that Pilager hooks with a fishing lure while filming a campaign ad. Are dirty tricks involved? Investigator Danny O’Brien is hired to let a few people know they are suspected. But as a former journalist, he can’t help trying to solve the mystery of who this is and how he died. In his searching, he uncovers lots of information that looks bad for people involved with Pilager, but really can't be traced back to any one person.
That the film was released a few weeks before the presidential election makes it obvious that Sayles is not a fan of President Bush. He expects people to be able to see Bush in Pilager. His expectation is so obvious that it becomes another distraction from the issues that could have been raised in this film. Silver City is a cynical film. While there are many issues in our electoral system that invite such cynicism, it is just too easy to see the film as being cynical only about President Bush. I am not a Bush supporter, myself, but I would note that many of the issues of campaign marketing and financing are issues that apply to all major candidates. Because Pilager is so obviously a Bush stand-in, the film looks more like an attack on Bush than a film that is asking serious questions about the way we elect our leaders.
This may be one of Sayles’ weakest films, which is too bad, because the subject matter is important and needs someone of Sayles’ abilities to focus our attention on such issues.
—Review by Darrel Manson
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
Dicky Pilager is running for Governor in Colorado. One would be naive indeed not to recognize that Pilager’s character is designed as a George W. Bush clone. He’s the latest generation of a political dynasty. He is very good when on script, but on his own, his mouth will get him in serious trouble. He doesn’t seem very bright (although a sham website makes the point that his GPA was higher than President Bush’s). He’s very closely tied to big business. On top of all this, Chris Cooper seems to be “channeling� the President in his portrayal of the candidate, and the comparison is not meant to be flattering to the President.Silver City is John Sayles’ comment on the state of the political process. Among the things he wants to show us is that the marketing of a candidate takes precedence over substance so candidates like Pilager learn quickly to avoid having to speak extemporaneously or to answer surprise questions. Instead they learn to stay “on message,� that is, to say only what they plan to say, especially if it fits into a sound bite.
Sayles’ films often deal with appearances as opposed to reality. Prime examples are Lone Star and Sunshine State. Here, too, it’s clear that Sayles is showing us a public image of a politician while letting us know that the real person is quite different. On camera or in prepared events, Pilager looks and sounds strong and confident. In a scene with reporters but no handler, he is obviously incapable of serious problem solving.The film does have some important points to make. Unfortunately, many of the issues get buried under a mystery plot that distracts us from what I think is the real reason for this film. The mystery involves a body that Pilager hooks with a fishing lure while filming a campaign ad. Are dirty tricks involved? Investigator Danny O’Brien is hired to let a few people know they are suspected. But as a former journalist, he can’t help trying to solve the mystery of who this is and how he died. In his searching, he uncovers lots of information that looks bad for people involved with Pilager, but really can't be traced back to any one person.
That the film was released a few weeks before the presidential election makes it obvious that Sayles is not a fan of President Bush. He expects people to be able to see Bush in Pilager. His expectation is so obvious that it becomes another distraction from the issues that could have been raised in this film. Silver City is a cynical film. While there are many issues in our electoral system that invite such cynicism, it is just too easy to see the film as being cynical only about President Bush. I am not a Bush supporter, myself, but I would note that many of the issues of campaign marketing and financing are issues that apply to all major candidates. Because Pilager is so obviously a Bush stand-in, the film looks more like an attack on Bush than a film that is asking serious questions about the way we elect our leaders.This may be one of Sayles’ weakest films, which is too bad, because the subject matter is important and needs someone of Sayles’ abilities to focus our attention on such issues.
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