DbcultAccessing Vault...
3.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 3.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Fighting President remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this worth watching today? Only if you are a massive history nerd or you just really like the sound of old-timey radio voices. If you want a movie with a plot or characters that actually talk to each other, you should probably skip it. 📺
It’s basically a propaganda piece made right when FDR was taking office. It feels like someone took a bunch of YouTube clips and put a loud narrator over them to make everyone feel better about the Great Depression.
The first thing you notice is Edwin C. Hill. He narrates the whole thing like he’s trying to sell you a used car and a new future at the exact same time.
His voice has that specific crackle you only hear in movies from this era. It makes everything sound way more important than it probably is.
I found myself wondering if he ever took a breath. He just keeps going, talking about Roosevelt’s childhood and his "incidents" like they are epic poems.
It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Police Call. Everything feels like a high-stakes emergency even when it’s just a guy sitting at a desk.
There are some "reconstructed" scenes that are pretty funny to watch now. You can tell they aren't real candid moments because everyone looks so stiff.
One shot of FDR as a young man looks like he’s trying very hard not to laugh at the camera. It’s those small, human mistakes that make these old films worth a look.
The editing is also super jumpy. One second he’s on a boat, the next he’s talking to farmers, and there’s no transition at all.
It’s a bit like the pacing in The Roadhouse Murder. It just moves from one thing to the next without checking if you’re still following along.
The movie really hammers home the idea that he’s a "fighter." They say it over and over. They want you to know he’s tough enough to fix the country.
It’s interesting because they never really mention his disability directly. They just show him being active and "fighting" all the time. 🥊
If you’ve seen Eskimo from the same year, you know how these early 30s documentaries like to frame things. They have a very specific way of looking at the world that feels very foreign now.
I also kept thinking about West of Broadway and how films back then dealt with the idea of a "hero" coming in to save the day. This is the non-fiction version of that trope.
Yeah, kind of. If you aren't interested in the 1930s, it’s basically just a long lecture with pictures. But there is a certain charm to the graininess of it all.
The film is covered in scratches and dust. It looks like something you’d find in a dusty box in your grandfather’s attic.
"He is the man of the hour!" Hill shouts at one point. It’s hard not to feel swept up in it just a little bit, even if you know it's a sales pitch.
One thing that stuck with me was a shot of a crowd of people waiting for him to speak. They all look so tired and hopeful at the same time. You don't see that kind of raw emotion in modern political docs very often.
It’s a lot more honest than the polished stuff we get now, even if it’s totally biased. You can see the actual dirt on the people’s faces.
It’s much more grounded than something like The Wedding March, which is all about spectacle. Here, the spectacle is just the hope that things might get better.
The ending is very sudden. It just stops. No credits, no music fade, just black. It’s like the film ran out of tape or the editor just went home for the day.
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it’s a fascinating artifact. It’s a movie that was meant to be watched once and then thrown away, but somehow it survived.
If you have an hour to kill and want to feel like you’re sitting in a theater in 1933, give it a go. Just don't expect a thrilling climax.
I’m glad I watched it, but I don’t think I’ll ever need to see it again. Once is enough for this kind of history lesson. 🏛️
IMDb —
1925
Community
Log in to comment.
