If you want to see the exact moment when twentieth century politics put the image over the idea and the electoral process became a media event, take a look at Robert Drew's Primary, a documentary about the 1960 Wisconsin primary recently released by Criterion; it's a crucial piece of political history, often cited as the first example of cinéma vérité. In one sequence, candidate John Kennedy works a starstruck crowd like a pop star; he's young, his wife is glamorous, and in the background the recorded voice of Frank Sinatra chimes in with his endorsement, "Everybody's voting for Jack!"…
If you want to see the exact moment when twentieth century politics put the image over the idea and the electoral process became a media event, take a look at Robert Drew's Primary, a documentary about the 1960 Wisconsin primary recently released by Criterion; it's a crucial piece of political history, often cited as the first example of cinéma vérité. In one sequence, candidate John Kennedy works a starstruck crowd like a pop star; he's young, his wife is glamorous, and in the background the recorded voice of Frank Sinatra chimes in with his endorsement, "Everybody's voting for Jack!"…