Engrossing account of a Huey Long style politician memorably portrayed by Broderick Crawford. Everyone scores - Crawford in the role of a lifetime, John Ireland as the journo who works for him.
The first section is great as we get to know Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge (political operator). Crawford is decent, learns to read, learns to speak, becomes a star. His conversion to corruption happens in five seconds on film - we cut to four years later and he's corrupted. We never sense he believes in the message anymore there's no complexity, he comes across as a gangster - reassuring for all those left wing things his character believes in.
Ireland gets disgusted by him pretty quickly but is required by the plot to stay with him - even after discovering he's sleeping with Dru, is mean to son John Derek, covers up Derek's drink driving manslaughter of a girl, forces Derek to play football and he gets crippled, gets material to blackmail a judge. We don't get a sense of Ireland's idealism to torture him i.e. to see all the good Crawford is doing. Ireland just kind of whinges which is frustrating.
And what happens to Mercedes McCambridge? (Apparently this film went through torturous post production).
Still, the film's depiction of American society - corrupt, with a dodgy press, easily swayed crowds - gets it some points.
Derek isn't bad. Ireland is good even is his character is frustrating - ditto Dru. Ireland could've played Crawford's role you know. It's a gift role. He's not a very nuanced actor. Imagine John Wayne or Charles Laughton.
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