Frontrunners

Frontrunners is an exciting documentary film from 2008, which emphasizes the less explored sphere of student politics, featuring insightful performances from George Zisiadis, Hannah Freiman, and Michael Zaytsev. The film is directed by Caroline Suh and takes the viewers through an enthralling political race, but not the usual type of election most are accustomed to. This isn't about seasoned politicians vying for control of a district, state, or country. Instead, Frontrunners is about high school students at the epicenter of their school's own government election, showing the spirit and intensity that young people can bring into politics.

The film encapsulates the election procedure at Stuyvesant High School - one of the most prestigious public high schools in New York City, renowned equally for its rigorous academic regime and its competitive student council elections. The centerpiece of the movie is the fierce race to become Stuyvesant's Student Union President.

Leading the pack, viewers get acquainted with four bright, charismatic candidates - Mike, George, Alex, and Hannah. Mike, shown as a serious figure, runs a meticulous campaign, marked by calculated strategies and polished speeches. George, on the other hand, appears cheerful and quirky, banking on his charm to sway his peers. Alex, a transfer student, has an outsider's perspective, which provides unique insights and creates intriguing dynamics among the frontrunners. Hannah, the calm and focused lone female candidate, is depicted as a dedicated student with a significant edge in the race, having previously served as a sophomore and junior senator.

As the campaign intensifies, Frontrunners illustrates how these high school elections mirror larger political landscapes, complete with analytics, empty rhetoric, scandals, charisma, and lots of strategy. You have the usual divide between those who run a serious campaign and those who make light of the procedures, shake-ups in alliances, newspapers endorsing one candidate over another, and shifts in support bases based on changing public perception. The audience witnesses promises, power plays, platforms, endorsements, flip-flopping, and all other attributes associated with political races.

Behind the competition, one largely appreciates the film's exploration of teenage life and social dynamics in a highly competitive school environment. Moreover, at its core, the film presents an intricate portrait of the American democratic process replicated on a smaller scale, distilling it down to its most primal elements. It's a political science lesson, using a high school election to illustrate the possibilities and pitfalls inherent in a democratic system.

It is also an incisive exploration of the nature of leadership, ambition, and the passion of youth in shaping their milieu, dealing with pressures, diplomacy, and dealing with defeat. Unlike other popular teen flicks which might ride on drama and stereotypical teenage rebellion, Frontrunners also gives a platform to the ingenuity and sincerity among the youth.

Replete with humorous moments and buoyant energy, the director uses the documentary format effectively to offer a humorous but insightful film about the political aspirations of teenagers. The performances of the main characters, George Zisiadis, Hannah Freiman, and Michael Zaytsev, are incredibly insightful. Their disarming honesty combined with their ambition for leadership makes them distinguished figures in the narrative, keeping audiences engrossed.

Frontrunners is a film that gets under the skin of its teenage subjects, portraying their personalities realistically. It paints a world governed by earnest speeches, well-executed debates, popular votes, and, most importantly, the aspiration to lead. It underscores the power of the youth, their political engagement, and how even in high school; leadership is no child's play.

For anyone interested in political science, youth culture, or educational psychology, Frontrunners offers an irresistible peek into the inner workings of a teenage world affected by much larger sociopolitical phenomena. The film gives unprecedented access to lesser-discussed dynamics, revealing not just the politics of an election, but how these young frontrunners translate their ambitions into a social framework, and how politics, even at the ground level, can shape lives and futures.

With Frontrunners, Suh manages to tell a compelling story, one that is brilliantly engaging, thought-provoking, and has a broad appeal to audiences of all types. The interactions among these young hopefuls, the tactics they devise, the mistakes they make, and the triumphs and defeats they experience make for an absorbing and entertaining film, shedding some much-needed light on the youth's political aspirations and actions.