Death of a President

Director Gabriel Range structures his speculative docudrama Death of a President with the utmost precision as not to overscript or overthink its events. He very directly recounts the events of George W. Bush’s shocking assassination in 2007 through interviews with staff and investigators as well as with news footage (both authentic and manipulated). His rigid commitment to documentary style can sometimes squander the film’s potential for insight and dramatic potency. It’s chock full of facts, but it’s quite light on passion and sentiment. Some faux interviewees provide a personal context for this trauma, but stylistically verisimilitude seems to trump all instances of emotion.

What the film does convey quite vividly is the growing epidemic of anti-Bush syndrome. It comments on the role of the president in the eyes of a scared and angry nation. People here are holding Bush solely responsible for a much greater state of despair in the world. Political disagreement has grown into social mutiny and the ruthless degradation of the president has become widely acceptable. Range wisely observes that assassination is the devastating but logical next step if this trend were to continue.

This is not an anti-Bush film. It’s a film that opposes hatred of all kinds and injustice by all people. Its greatest message is that hatred begets hatred. The events of Bush’s death create even more chaos and cruelty. It is the film’s intention to stand as cautionary tale of what could happen should unruly hatred exceed rational debate in our society. Range seems very committed to the notion that there is a threshold beyond which political dispute becomes dangerous aggression. He even goes as far as to designate the crossing of the police barrier by protestors in 2007 as the moment that enables the assassination and its awful aftermath. He rallies behind the idea that protesting war through violence will do nothing but further perpetuate the notion that violence is the best of all solutions.

Range is respectfully responsible in his minimalistic and unexploitive technique, but he’s also so committed to an unbiased film that he comes off as artistically dull. The death of a president seems too rife with emotional possibilities to be treated so coldly. Range seems intent on delivering a clinical study of the consequences of violence. For the most part it’s an interesting and engaging film, but his efforts can grow tedious at times. Even fake documentaries can feel oversaturated with information and lacking personality. It’s an original and admirable concept, but I wish there was more here to really explore and analyze.

Grade: B-