Monday, April 19, 2010

Gentner W Post

The two scenes that I think are most important in the film are: (1) the scene in which George Bush is talking with his father about how he would love a career in baseball and (2) the scene in which Bush is discussing things about the war and Cheney is in the corner of the room.

The first scene is important because it shows not only the type of relationship that W had with his father, but it represents the deep-seeded issues that W clearly had. I do think that the director was trying to humanize W, although in my opinion he failed, and this scene is a key scene in showing just how average and sincere W was. This scene shows how W was always trying to please his father, and his father clearly despised everything W did. This ongoing conflict and constant need for acceptance clearly drove Bush to do things that he did not necessarily want to do in order to impress others. This aids Stone in showing the audience that W may not have been the best president, but he was only human.

The other scene in which Cheney so authoritatively speaks to Bush regarding the war, basically telling him that he does not think they have a choice in sending out troops or not, also aids in Stone’s attempts to humanize Bush. The relationship between W and Cheney is eerily similar to the relationship that W has with his father. Cheney is very easily able to persuade W into doing things, and W clearly allows him to do so.

Both of these scenes show that W was a people pleaser, and that is a more humane image of Bush than I have ever seen. I am able to see that Stone was really trying to shed Bush in a different light.

1 comment:

  1. Bush Sr. and Cheney might both be seen as authoritative fathers who make W feel as if he can never measure up.

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