Best of Enemies

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Eric B @EricB10 3h Not sure why I didn't give this a 5-Star Rating. Perhaps it's because this did not have a happy ending. Rather, this was the story of the beginning of the end in American politics, which can only lead to the end of America, which looms before us now. This is must-see television for the young, who should watch, not like a football game, rooting for the guy they most identify with, but in it's totality. How did both these men contribute to the demise of civility in the pursuit of national solutions, and turn supremely important discussions into a popcorn munching spectator sport? These two men were both literary giants, whose work endures. The filmmakers deserve vigorous applause for telling the sad tale of this country, in decline the last 60 years, through a series of debates on the 3rd rated network, between two men few of us can relate to but who embodied the two Americas we clearly see now, now at civil war. Vidal won the debates, but history may show Buckley was the true winner. See more David H @DavidQHarris 10/14/2023 A very interesting look at two larger-than-life characters. I have to say that I really dislike WF Buckley, though. What an obnoxious prick. Vidal is just as arrogant, sure, but at least he's not constantly making jokes about smashing people's faces in. See more John B @RT17595747 06/10/2023 Not terribly exciting, but it was an interesting look at these two combatants in their time and how they handled verbal discussions on political situations in the late 60's and early 70's with the Nixon Administration plus Regan See more 06/29/2021 Watch Judas and Jesus go at it. Which talking head is which? Dunno. But, they are madly in love with each other's politics, and their passion for each other's work is clear here. It gets squirmy watching them debate instead of bone. See more Stephen G @RT76499974 02/01/2021 Fascinating glimpse of history, of the encounter that paved the way to much of what political media is today, and of its impact on the two men involved. See more paul d @PaulusLoZebra 06/13/2020 This is a wonderful documentary and worth seeing for anyone interested in the confluence of American political ideas and the media. I was a teenager during the 1968 conventions and watched them every night. I was later a political science student who read William F. Buckley Jr. extensively and watched Firing Line. I was also a fan of Vidal's later, historical novels, and read a lot about him after a visit to his home in Ravello. I saw them both in person. So, I have my own distinctive memories of the protagonists, and I think that the documentary does a good job of presenting them to a new generation, and mostly for its insight into the importance of television in that era as a shared experience - as explained in the film - for all Americans, and how we have fewer and fewer of those shared experiences today. See more Read all reviews

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