The War Room (1993) (review)

It should come as no surprise that political campaign strategists are viewed with great cynicism, considering the long history that negative ads have played in American politics. In the 1828 US presidential race between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, Jackson was accused of bigamy and Adams of being a pimp. In 1884, US presidential nominee Grover Cleveland was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock.¹ In contrast to this bleak view of the typical campaign strategist, Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker’s documentary The War Room (1993) provides viewers with a more complex, and at times sympathetic, portrait of a profession that has deservedly been viewed with distrust and disdain. The War Room follows political strategists for Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign as they work to get him elected as president of the United States. Recently released on DVD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection, The War Room also includes several interesting additional features in which the film’s key players—those both in front of and behind the camera—reflect not only on the filmmaking process but also on political campaign strategy then and now.

Clinton campaign strategists George Stephanopoulos and James Carville from The War Room. Image courtesy David Burnett.

Denied access to Clinton, the filmmakers are granted permission to film Clinton’s campaign staff. In one of the documentary’s extra features, The Making of the War Room, the filmmakers admit to initially having doubts about the prospects of the film’s success after being denied access to the candidate himself. Hegedus and Pennebaker assert that this film would have been doomed had Clinton not been elected, as no one other than those with an interest in political history would care to see the inner workings of a campaign that was a political failure. Despite this risk, filmmakers Hegedus and Pennebaker pursued their project, determined to eventually gain at least limited access to Clinton.

Although Clinton appears in some of the shots, the majority of screen time concentrates on his campaign staff at the Arkansas headquarters. The lack of access to the candidate, however, proves to be a lucky break for both filmmakers and viewers, as the campaign staff is led by the very colorful and amusing political strategist James Carville. Carville, often referred to by those in the office as the “Ragin’ Cajun,” ends up being the real star of the picture. At the start of the film, Carville, who wears faded Louisiana State University shirts and jeans throughout most of the film, explains to a room full of staff members and volunteers that their campaign strategy will not only get Clinton elected but will change the nature of US political campaigns. Voters, Carville affirms, will not be denied a candidate who can generate real change. Mantras that Carville crafted then (“change versus more of the same” and “it’s the economy, stupid”) are now regularly used by all political parties; they are staples in the political campaign lexicon. Carville’s emotional speech at the film’s start rallies the troops for the tough road ahead—and even manages to inspire the most cynical viewers. After all, who doesn’t like an underdog?

Another key character in the film and architect of Clinton’s campaign strategy is campaign communications director George Stephanopoulos. More measured and reserved, Stephanopoulos is the perfect counterpart to the fast-talking and, at times, aggressive Carville. The two men complement each other well, and it is fun to watch them play off one another as they navigate the highs and lows of the campaign.

Also interesting is how swiftly the staffers respond to a wide array of problems that threaten to derail the campaign, from such trivial issues as the theft of election yard signs to more serious allegations regarding their candidate’s infidelity, drug use, and questionable war record. Nonetheless, the staff successfully manages Clinton’s image, minimizing what would seem to be inevitable fallout given the gravity of the accusations. In another...