HAIL TO THE CHIEF

HAIL TO THE CHIEF
Directed by Mike Storch
Written by Warren Wagner

Now this is more like it. HAIL TO THE CHIEF, released at the same time as A New Kind of Airport, deals with race relations, is done in black-and-white, and was written by Warren Wagner. That's where the similarities end. Where Airport was crudely directed, overexaggerated, and consistently sabotaged its potential, HAIL TO THE CHIEF is subtle, pensive, emotive, and expertly directed. The black-and-white looks fantastic and actually fits the mood and themes of the film. And when you consider the laughably pathetic history of movies about racial tension in the 3DMM community, HAIL TO THE CHIEF seems even more impressive.

Describing the plot without giving away the emotional surprises it carries is tricky. It may actually be impossible. The premise in the thread reads: "A man is caught between his race and his country, friend and father, and is forced into an unspeakable situation." That's better than any description I can come up with. The movie sounds like it would be about choices, but from the outset, it appears that the choice has already been made. So, through the main character's monologue, the movie communicates themes of resolve, guilt, rationalization, duty, and principles. Heavy stuff, but Warren doesn't pound it down our throats. We're let in on the situation, and without any emotional outbursts or declarations of What This Film Is About, we're given a cold, calculating run-down of the facts and the man's musings about what's about to happen. When the movie ends, we think about the other possible outcome. Would it have been more daring, or would it make everything too cynical? Or isn't the premise itself already cynical enough?

I don't know. The situation is certainly a bleak one, and I found myself questioning the decisions the main character had made; not from a moral standpoint, but from a screenwriting one. The lack of persuasion of his friend, the intelligence of this man, and the strength of his convictions make me doubt he'd engineer what he describes at the beginning of the movie. I chalk this one up to the somewhat weak scene in the diner, which is the one rough spot in the film. For the most part, the strength of the character, aided by Justin Wawrzonek's excellent voice work and by the quality of the v3dmm model used to portray him convince us. He's obviously a good man with good intentions, and we can buy that he's made a horrifying decision. This theme of loose principles in the hope of achieving what one believes to be positive things pops up in A New Kind of Airport, as well, viewed from the opposite direction.

A thought I had while watching this movie, and one I've found myself considering in most of the v3dmm films I've seen, is just how much new models and techniques affect the subtle aspects of filmmaking with this program. Specifically, how we respond to it. To what degree was I more affected by the main character because it was a unique character model? Certainly if it had been Charlie, it would have been much harder to take the story seriously -- but why so? More because of the goofy grin and cartoony visage, or more because we've been staring at the actor for ten years and our brains automatically make assumptions about what kind of character this is, and what kind of movie this is? With such a radical change like v3dmm, can something as seemingly simple as a new character model completely change the way characters come across in movies? Were Mike and Warren thinking about this when they wrote and directed it? Accidental or not, the actor for the unnamed main character is expertly crafted and adds a level of subtlety and authenticity to his emotional role in the film. If it had been Charlie, or Bino, or Bo, it probably wouldn't have worked. And it's kind of eerie that this revelation is coming to me in a film about stereotypes and race relations.

I thought of Liquid Sunshine at the end of my first viewing, and found that an odd thought. But the similarities seem to hold true; both are narrated as an inner monologue by a depspondent main character, both feature somber, matter-of-fact dialogue, and both end with a bittersweet revelation for the character and the audience both. I don't know if Mike was thinking along the same lines as Jon or found inspiration from LS, it was just my closest point of reference for the emotional tenor of this film. While flawed (the dialogue in the diner with Michael is a little hackneyed, and Justin's delivery on this first line in that scene made me cringe with how stilted it felt), it's more affecting than I'd expected, which is a sure step forward for Mike and Warren both. Mike's films have a pattern of being dark and emotionally creepy, but rarely poignant in a way that goes beyond surface style, and Warren's writing has a way of delving into complex and creative premises but doesn't quite bring them to life. In HAIL TO THE CHIEF, they've both managed to hit solidly. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Critical Score: 88/100.
Personal Score: 90/100.