Medium Cool

Medium Cool, released in 1969, directed by Haskell Wexler, is an American cinematic gem, starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, and Peter Bonerz. The movie has left its mark as a notable entry in the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking.

The movie features Robert Forster as John Cassellis, a television news cameraman working in Chicago during the upheaval-filled late 1960s. He is depicted as a dedicated professional who captures the sociopolitical turbulence of the time and interacts with people of diverse racial, socioeconomic, and political backgrounds for his stories. Cassellis appears simultaneously detached and embedded with his subjects, a reflection of his responsibilities as a newsman and his personal emotions.

Verna Bloom plays the role of Eileen, a West Virginia woman raising her son Harold, in a larger city without the boy’s father, who was killed in Vietnam. She and her son epitomize the alienated, struggling individuals largely forgotten by the prosperous, fast-paced society of the time. Her character provides a counterpoint to Cassellis’s; while he is mostly looking on society from a camera's lens, Eileen is going through the trials she endures in her everyday life.

Peter Bonerz portrays Gus, long-time friend and soundman to Cassellis. Together the two grapple with the question of journalistic objectivity and the toll their line of work takes on their personal lives.

Medium Cool is an unsparing, gripping exploration of a volatile period in American history. Blending elements of fact and fiction, the film provides a bird's eye view of American society in turmoil. It includes an amalgamation of scripted drama, re-enactments, and actual-event footage portraying the raging protests, racial tensions, and the worrisome socio-political conditions. The movie convincingly captures the zeitgeist of its era with firm footing in reality, through the director's innovative, boundary-blurring methods. It is laudably powerful and discerningly potent in replicating the actual historical event of the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which coincided with the movie's production.

Yet, beyond merely being a time capsule, Medium Cool lays bare the moral complexities and ambiguities of journalism, subtly questioning its role in shaping public opinion and its potential to trigger social change. The movie delves into the ethical dilemma of the media, where journalists are trapped between emotional detachment for objectivity and their humane instincts. The filmmaker treads this moral gray ground, evidently defying the conventional boundaries of cinema, to provide intriguing insight into media's role in society.

Plus, the personal narrative of Eileen presents a compelling picture of the individuals struggling and caught in the midst of the social unrest largely ignored by the media. The bond that forms between Eileen and Cassellis adds another level of complexity to the movie, revealing the impact of the larger society on individual stories.

Medium Cool, true to its title, offers cool, implacable observations on the charged American landscape, derived from social unrest and political contentions against the backdrop of the tumultuous late 1960s. Its blend of documentary and fictional approaches along with its provocative storytelling, courtesy of director Haskell Wexler, results in the film being not just a compelling narrative, but also a historical, cultural, and political document.

Adding to its merits is the outstanding cinematography that brings a significant je ne sais quoi to the atmosphere of the movie. The audience is made to feel as if they are part of the action, experiencing firsthand the sights, sounds, and emotions of the times. This makes Medium Cool a masterpiece of visceral, ethereal filmmaking that delivers a strong sense of place and time, serving as a testament to the transformative power of cinema.

In conclusion, Medium Cool stands as a groundbreaking piece of cinema that seamlessly blends the real and reel, intertwining a fictional narrative with authentic historical footage. It's not merely a film, but a sociocultural analysis of a tumultuous time in American history, and an examination of the purpose, power, and practicalities of visual media. Its fusion of fact and fiction, combined with its provocative narrative and technical brilliance, makes Medium Cool a landmark in the realm of experimental and revolutionary filmmaking.