As Adam McKay’s biographical and political 2018 motion picture Vice suggests, Washington insider and later Vice President during the Bush Administration, Dick Cheney (played by Christian Bale) is responsible for much of the post-September 11 geopolitical turmoil and devastation. Beginning in the late 1960s interning for Donald Rumsfeld to becoming President Ford’s youngest Chief of Staff to representing Wyoming as a congressman to lastly serving under two President Bushes, Dick Cheney was a quiet and observant man who lurked behind the scenes waiting patiently to strike when no one was looking. For a government bureaucrat who dominated and shaped foreign and domestic policy under different administrations and eras, Cheney remains one of the most controversial, reviled, and secretive American politicians. Who exactly is Dick Cheney? What were his motivations and ambitions in Washington DC? What made him so ruthless in his pursuits? Those are the questions McKay attempts to answer in Vice.
Although Vice is a biographical picture, McKay’s creativity deviates from the traditional biographical film formula. Instead, McKay crafts his film to explore Cheney’s psyche in the form of a visual essay. Utilizing imaginative filmmaking aesthetics as well as solid craftsmanship, Vice features an inventive non-linear narrative accompanied by a narrator who plays an integral component to the picture, precise cinematography and editing that accentuates the various eras presented from the 1960s to the early 2000s, detailed sets and costumes that perfectly capture historical accuracy, a combination of witty and dry humor, a powerful score by Nicholas Britell, and captivating performances by Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, and Sam Rockwell. Upsetting and even humorous at times, Vice is an important motion picture that not only pursues to analyze Dick Cheney but the state of current affairs and the downward spiral of the United States.
According to McKay, interest in crafting a motion picture about Dick Cheney arose when McKay read a book about the controversial figure while sick with the flu. McKay, as most viewers probably did after viewing the film, wanted to know more about the subject matter he was exploring. As a result, more books were consumed and extensive research was conducted. In an era of facts tossed aside in favor of personal opinions, feelings, and entertainment, McKay seeks to present an honest and unbiased cinematic exposé regarding Cheney and his rise to power in American politics, much to the dismay of the real Cheney family. In a biographical picture, honesty and truth are of utmost importance but for the sake of cinema, the realism needs to be visually displayed compellingly, and of course entertaining, especially to an audience that may not be familiar with American politics. McKay, with a background in comedy, expertly utilizes cinema to present his findings on Cheney and at the end of the film, leaves it up to the viewer to determine what to make of the man, whether his actions were for or against the American people.
A traditional biographical film would have introduced Cheney during his youth. Under McKay’s direction, the narrative timeline of events takes a different route. Instead, Vice begins with Cheney at the height of his political power as Vice President of the United States during the September 11 terrorist attacks. Calm and contemplative despite an attack on American soil, Cheney took control of the situation despite President Bush’s (played by Sam Rockwell) absence suggesting that Cheney was the mastermind pulling the strings of how the US would respond to the terrorist attacks. With the assistance of an unknown narrator (played by Jesse Plemons) whose identity we learn of as the film progresses, we are informed of how Cheney ended up in the crucial and mighty position. As the narrative jumps from September 11 to Cheney as a Yale dropout drunkard to working as an intern with the notorious Donald Rumsfeld (played by Steve Carell) to retired post-politics life, shots of a much older Cheney casting a fishing rod and fishing all by his lonesome accompanies and holds the film together. An avid lifelong fisher, the shots of Cheney not only showcase his passion for the serene recreational activity but also symbolize Cheney, patiently waiting throughout his career for the appropriate moment to strike, such as the maneuvering of Washington during the Ford administration and Antonin Scalia’s explanation of the unitary executive theory, which was an immediate lightbulb moment for Cheney. Information that could have been presented through spoken dialogue in a rather bland and uninteresting manner is instead heightened through the use of visual imagery, such as screen text, archival footage, and anecdotes thus deepening McKay’s crafting of an essayistic cinematic experience.
As a motion picture that is set in various decades, the sets, costumes, hair, and makeup, as well as music, both diegetic and nondiegetic, change and adapt to the corresponding era. Although at times, the particular year a scene takes place in is shown with an accompanying caption, at other times it is not. We can, however, determine the setting by the costumes worn by the performers. The crafting of the outfits worn, production design, and props is impeccable and accurately reflects the various eras to the point where they all look and feel authentic. Capturing the stuffy nature of political bureaucracy, the costumes worn particularly by Cheney and Rumsfeld are bland, generic, and not precisely tailored. The props used by their respective performers also adapt to the changing times such as typewriters becoming desktop computers, corded rotary phones becoming touchtone and wireless, and videoconferencing between Washington DC and Cheney’s underground bunker after the terrorist attacks. Under McKay’s direction, cinematographer Greig Fraser’s camerawork and compositions are standard as a result of McKay not having a distinct directorial style. Fraser, however, brings a documentarian approach to the film thus making the cinematography in Vice brilliant!
Ultimately, it is not McKay’s disclosure of Cheney that makes Vice an enthralling watch but the performers who transform themselves into their respective characters. From the facial expressions, mannerisms, way of speaking, and overall physical appearance, Christian Bale is unrecognizable as Dick Cheney. The same can be said about Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Amy Adams as Liz Cheney, Sam Rockwell as George W Bush, and even Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. While each performance resonates with viewers, Bale’s performance as Cheney is not only one of his best but one of the best biographical portrayals!
A motion picture that was extensively researched featuring McKay’s findings displayed in cinematic language, facts outweigh emotions and bias in Vice. Attempting to present a neutral perspective on a political figure that is highly controversial is no easy feat, especially when negative actions committed by the subject are greater than positive ones. Whether Cheney is viewed as a villain or a patriotic American by the end of Vice, McKay justifies Cheney’s actions by having Bale as Cheney address the viewer directly, breaking the fourth wall. Looking directly at the camera, Cheney exclaims that despite the anger and resentment the viewer may feel toward him, he did what he had to do to keep Americans safe from the evils of terrorism. With that, serving the American people was his greatest honor. Whether that is sincere or not is up for interpretation, just as McKay undoubtedly interpreted his findings on the secretive man that was and is Dick Cheney.
A stellar motion picture that does not have a single dull moment during its two-hour runtime, Vice is an engaging film that informs but also stirs up plenty of questions. Humorous and dramatic, Vice is a picture not to be missed, not only for historical and political buffs but for those seeking exquisite performances and commentary on our current political climate.
Reel/Musings 