Ralph Nader documentary opens in US
February 2nd, 2007 by Zsofia
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” (George Bernard Shaw)
This is the quote the filmmakers behind the “An Unreasonable Man” are using to intrigue audiences into watching a new documentary about the man who many hold scapegoat for the wrongheaded US policies of the past six years.
Ralph Nader ran for the US presidency three times (1996, 2000, and 2004) and has been increasingly criticised for his “idealistic” attempts to introduce a third political party into the US political representation system. Directed by Steve Skrovan and Henriette Mantel (once Nader’s office manager in Washington) the film focuses on the divisive race in 2000, in which Nader was excoriated for “stealing” votes which might have enabled Al Gore to defeat George W. Bush.
The filmmakers admit that their aim was to tell the story from Nader’s perspective. They wanted to re-introduce Nader into the public consciousness as a multi-dimensional character: a man who has been a key force in the US consumer protection movement - and a man who has built a “legislative record that rivals that of any contemporary US president.”
However, the film does not promote any political agenda, and solicits opinions from all corners. Among Nader’s arch critics are Eric Alterman (columnist at The Nation) and Todd Gitlin (Columbia University), who call him a “psychologically troubled man.” In his own defense, Nader blasts back at the Democrats and 2004 candidate John Kerry for not taking on “the big issues.”
The documentary, now in US cinemas, includes interviews with Nader’s former colleagues, politicians, journalists, academics, and even his two sisters. Read some of the reviews or check more on the film at http://www.anunreasonableman.com/
