An Unreasonable Man is a fairly dense, intricately composed documentary. Aside from seeming rather run of the mill in its talking head nature, it manages to accomplish a number of things quite well. Perhaps the most important of these being the surprising efficiency in which the filmmakers expose an unprecedentedly successful activist career.
The use of the word ‘efficient’ might be questionable considering the documentary's two hour long run time. In spite of this, I found the film to be quite concise and fast moving, packing in impressive amounts of information. There were very few shots that lingered for more than a couple seconds, often times with talking heads finishing the sentences of the previous speaker. Initially this seemed a bit overwhelming, but it was understandably practical in the sense that it allowed for both supporters and detractors of Ralph to have screen-time and cover plenty of ground.
The filmmakers did a decent job at allowing individuals on both sides of Nader's story to express opinions. However, rarely did they let any negative claim go undefended.
Perhaps due to the rapid pace of editing and dissemination of opinions, the beginning of the film was hard for me. It was hard to discern what the film was really going to be about, besides just Nader in general. For instance it started with a series of individuals greatly opposing Ralph which set a sentiment that was a bit misleading. However, once the film made it past the scenes describing Nader as a youth, the film found its paces was engaging.
The filmmakers used music and subtle sound effects quite well. For example, I noticed the sound of a book closing anytime an excellent counter argument was made to disprove a critique of Nader. It was as though the filmmakers were saying “case closed” or “finished.” Perhaps it was a bit manipulative, but it was an indication or rather a manifestation of the filmmaker’s voice. Additionally I really enjoyed the inclusion of the celebrity interactions with Nader. The polarized moments with Michael Moore and the musicians were interesting considering their drastic loyalty shifts. Lastly, I’m a Bill Murray fan, so seeing him unexpectedly was nice and gave the film greater sense of credibility for me.
Ultimately the film made me question the ways in which I am engaging with my society as a consumer, and wether or not I am participating in democracy. This alone made the film a success for me.
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