Best of Enemies (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best of Enemies is a documentary film which premiered in 2015.

 

The topic is a series of televised debates between William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal which took place in 1968 during the Republican National Convention in Miami and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Directors: Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville

** Writers: Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville, and Tom Graves

** Run time: 88 minutes

 

The ten debates were shown on American television (ABC). This was an unconventional way to cover the national conventions of the two major parties. 

 

This unconventional television benefited the network, because it attracted many viewers.

 

The participants are:

 

** William F. Buckley (1925-2008) – an author and a commentator, a well-known and controversial representative on the right wing of US politics

** Gore Vidal (1925-2012) – an author and a commentator, a well-known and controversial representative on the left wing of US politics

 

In this film, there are excerpts from the televised debates which took place in 1968. But this is not all. There is also some background information about the two participants.

 

In addition, there is information about what happened behind the scenes during the debates and information about what happened after the debates.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

Here are the results of three review aggregators:

 

** 76 per cent = IMDb

** 77 per cent = Meta

** 85 per cent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

** 93 per cent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

On Amazon there are at the moment more than 250 ratings of this product, more than 100 with reviews.

 

The average rating is 4.5 stars which corresponds to a rating of 90 percent.

 

Some viewers may like this film, because they agree with William Buckley, while other viewers may like it, because they agree with Gore Vidal.

 

A third group of viewers may say that they do not agree with any of them.

 

Whether you belong to the first group, the second group or the third group, this film is important, because it offers some important information.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that this debate between Buckley and Vidal was a milestone in the history of US television.

 

The ratings are quite good, as you can see. But if you ask me, they are not good enough. I want to all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS # 1. For more information about William F. Buckley, see the following item:

 

A Man and his Presidents:

The Political Odyssey of William F. Buckley

by Alvin Felzenberg

(Hardcover 2017)

(Paperback 2018)

 

PS # 2. For more information about Gore Vidal, see the following item:

 

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia

(A documentary film which premiered in 2013)

 

*****

Buckley vs. Vidal

2 Men

10 Debates

Television Would Never Be the Same

Best of Enemies

(2015)

 

*****

William F. Buckley

Author and commentator

(1925-2008)

 

*****

Gore Vidal

Author and commentator

(1925-2012)

*****

William F. Buckley on the left and 

Gore Vidal on the right

Best of Enemies

In the studio

1968

*****