The Education of Gore Vidal
Home > Movies > The Education of Gore Vidal > Reviews
|
The Education of Gore Vidal Review: It may be impossible to fully cover Gore Vidal's long life, varied career and many outspoken opinions in a documentary of this length. So it's not surprising that this film doesn't manage to cover everything, particularly since "everything" would require an extensive examination of American history and politics. The documentary allows some people to contribute their insights on Vidal, but doesn't cover the full range of views (including the more negative ones) on this controversial figure; indicates some of his political opinions but doesn't explore them in great depth; and treads lightly on some of the less popular ones (e.g., his view on Timothy McVeigh, although the filmmakers deserve credit for including it). The Education of Gore Vidal also doesn't dig deeply into some of the interesting questions raised by Vidal's work as an author, historian, and pundit. However, most of the material that makes it into this film is interesting, although too much time is devoted to Vidal's celebrity friends reading from his novels and to the Broadway revival of his play +The Best Man. To a certain extent, the film's emphasis is on Vidal as an entertaining public figure, and he does deliver on this account. So even though the documentary doesn't thoroughly cover every aspect of his life and is less challenging and confrontational than seems fitting for someone who has made a career of provoking debate, it's still a fascinating portrait of a man who is definitely not boring. Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide |
Browse More Movies:
