Medium Cool
Director: Haskell Wexler
Year Released: 1969
Rating: 2.5
"Watch out Haskell, it's real," warns one of the director's crew, and what he's referring to is the tear gas the Chicago Police are using on the protestors. Godardian assemblage of events undermines combination/confusion of reality and fiction - the 'story' becomes hopelessly muddled - and too much attention is paid to the woman's son, whom Robert Forster spends some time 'bonding' with. The interest in television's power is inspired by Prof. McLuhan's groundbreaking theories (Dave Kehr mentioned the Canadian philosopher in his excellent review), though I'd advise a flip through Understanding Media if you want a genuine in-depth analysis.
