Film review: 'Best of Enemies'

The new documentary, "Best of Enemies," is a powerful fix for political junkies. It chronicles the 1968 debates between conservative William F. Buckley Jr. and leftist Gore Vidal.

ABC devised this "unconventional convention coverage" in hopes of raising dismal ratings. Little did they know that their "shot in the dark" would forever alter the course of televised news.

The network broadcasted a series of 10 debates between the two prolific pundits during the Democratic and Republican conventions. Prior to airing, Vidal diligently prepared, while Buckley went sailing. Winging it didn't bode well for Mr. Buckley in Miami, so two weeks later, he came to Chicago loaded for bear. 

In the fourth Chicago debate, both Vidal and Buckley lost their cools. Vidal called his opponent a "crypto-Nazi," to which Buckley responded, "Now listen, you queer, stop calling me a crypto-Nazi, or I'll sock you in your goddamn face, and you'll stay plastered." It was a day of infamy that would go down in television history. 

Co-directors and writers Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon have thoroughly done their homework in "Best of Enemies," not taking sides. A multitude of archival video clips and photos capture a feel for the era and historical climate that prevailed at the time. Buckley's and Vidal's roots in American aristocracy are examined as Kelsey Grammer and John Lithgow read each pundit's take on the debates.

Short clips of commentaries made by the likes of Dick Cavett, Paul Newman, Arthur Miller and Buckley's brother, Reid, help catapult this intellectual endeavor into one thoroughly entertaining piece of filmmaking.

Many believe that William F. Buckley Jr. was responsible for Ronald Reagan's election and charting a new course for conservatism. Gore Vidal believed that the Republican Party's ideology was rooted in greed and bigotry. Buckley viewed liberals as takers and degenerates.

If there's a lesson to be learned in "Best of Enemies," it's that obviously, political dialogue hasn't changed much since 1968.