Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment

This does a good job of setting up the positions of those involved, the complicated political calculations, the personal motivations of the students and the political and personal struggles of JFK trying to find the best way to deal with the issue. The fly on the wall style is amazingly effective and, in a way, I'm shocked that all those involved were so open to being filmed in these tense moments. A magnificent piece of history. Unsurprisingly George Wallace is a despicable human being.

A Southerner's worst nightmare preserved on film; this is why they so feared losing the Civil War. I can just imagine a Confederate veteran watching this documentary and exclaiming, "I told you so!" It is the simplicity of Drew's approach to 'capturing' and then projecting to the audience the unfolding events that enables the communication of the gravity of the situation. John and Robert really do come across as superheroes of social justice; proper leftism in action.

The fly on the wall way in which this was shot makes it compelling, but when all is said and done, it is kind of anti-climactic. The one piece of film you want to see is Wallace stepping out of the way after being confronted by the Alabama National Guard general, whose troops had just been nationalized by the president. Instead, we hear, by way of a third party telephone call, what has taken place. I've seen film of that moment before, I don't know why they chose not to use it in this film.