The Undefeated

I want to first off make it clear that I have no political axe to grind here. As far as I am concerned both the Dems AND Repubs are equally useless. That said, I want you to know that I review this "film" on it's merits as a documentary and not in critique of the (admittedly weird) political content.

This film was a hodgepodge of sound bites and glowing testimonials to the power of Sarah Palin, nothing more. There was very little in the way of followable narrative, and any and all opposing viewpoints where hissed upon as some kind of shadowy conspiracy from "the left" to destroy what they see as their biggest threat. It felt more like a dumbed down version of "Triumph of the Will" to me. And like Leni Riefenstahl's classic film, it left me with a sense of dread in knowing that so many people can be so easily swayed by melodramatic notions of patriotism and willful demagoguery.

And at least Riefenstahl could work a camera in a manner that didn't look like she was about to have an epileptic fit. The camera work in some of the interview portions makes it seem like someone is tickling the camera person. This may have been an attempt at making the scene look more "urgent" or "home brewed" I don't know, but it came across like someone skimmed through "An Idioit's Guide to Cutting Edge Documentary Filmmaking" the night before and didn't quite get it.

If Palin truly had aspirations for some form of national higher office, I really feel that she may have blown it by allowing this stinker to be released. It's a real shame too, because the US really needs a shakeup in it's political system. If you are a fan of Sarah Palin, do not watch this film as it may leave a bad taste in your mouth due to it's transparent attempt at being an extended infomercial.

It is too bad that, given the way Palin was sprung on the American people, that this movie is so entirely biased. A true look at all sides of her record would be enlightening and helpful. Instead we get an amateurish, poorly recorded, one-sided diatribe that does nothing more than blow smoke. The subject (Palin) aside, this is a deeply bad movie--poorly written, scored, filmed, put together. Worse than some high-school projects or even you-tube videos. The images of the animal attacks that accompany and/or follow some star's critiques of Palin are laughable. Obviously the director/writer has seen & taken notes from Leni Riefenstahl and her propaganda films. Tell a falsehood over & over, make the subject look pretty & facts no longer matter.

SAVE your money! and your brain cells!

With all the glowing reviews you'd think this film would have a rating over 8, instead of the dismal 1.6 reflective of some of the worst films ever made. This means the people who loved it (or love Sarah Palin) took the time to write a review, while the vast majority who thought it was complete garbage didn't bother. There is only one conclusion one could extrapolate from this: Palin supporters are a dedicated, but very much in the minority.

I don't think this was the worst film ever made, but let's be clear that this was a fluff piece for the main subject. Politically it's no more nor less one-sided than a Michael Moore doc, but at least Michael Moore brings awareness to a particular subject of topical interest rather than simply shameless self-promotion. Even as a bit of propaganda, The Undefeated is heavy-handed, too long, unsubtle, and lacks an engaging narrative structure.

I noticed that most of the positive reviewers also had never reviewed another film besides this one, suggesting they created a profile just to promote The Undefeated.

If you're huge fan of Palin, have $10-15 to burn, and want to spend 2 hours hearing about how wicked her detractors are and how awesome she is, then this documentary might be for you. Or you could just read some of the glowing 'reviews' here and get the gist of the type of person who would love it. Personally, I wish I had accidentally walked into the wrong theater and saw Captain America instead.

The trouble with Sarah Palin is most of us have already made up our minds about her and for the most part negatively. If Stanley Kubrick directed a positive film about her, and threw in all the spaceships, monkeys, atomic blasts and Alex's he could muster, we'd hate it still. We come to this film seeking comedy or horror. And Stephen Bannon is no Stanley Kubrick.

Bit of background. I'm an American living in Barcelona. The Europeans I've spoken about her with, those who've been paying any attention, either loathe her or are genuinely puzzled by her ascension. Bearing that in mind, a Catalan friend obtained a copy through some interwebz magic and invited myself and girlfriend to watch.

From the opening the room was filled with laughter. They were likely relying more on the subs and may have experienced a very different film from myself but our reactions were the same. Laughter, then boredom. A few more snickers then everyone turned their attention away from the screen and to the wine and the company.

Long story short, it was a campaign ad. A very, very long ad that only those smitten by Palin will likely watch.

The Undefeated is a political documentary about one of the most well-known, but misunderstood political figures of our time. While the film is in no way objective (it's 100% pro-Palin), it is also not fluff. The filmmaker elected to spend two full hours covering every important detail of Palin's political biography in order to set the record straight against the many misconceptions that have prevailed in the media about her.

While the presentation could be called a bit heavy-handed with respect to the use of hyperbolic rhetoric, epic movie-score music, and imagery taken from the animal kingdom, the content far overshadows any of that. This woman has her finger on the pulse of what really matters in public office, and the film does an excellent job of conveying that graphically. It shows her humble personal background in a small-town in the "Last Frontier", the purity of her intentions in getting involved in politics, the tenacity and effectiveness of her actions in office, and the inspirational leadership that she has provided to the Tea Party movement and women and girls everywhere since she ascended to the national scene in 2008.

Although the film is long for a feature documentary, it is not boring. There is nothing more important in my opinion than informing the public about those who aspire to lead our nation in this critical moment in our nation's history. I do believe that Sarah Palin is that person, and this film illustrates it. But even if you don't agree (yet), I would strongly urge that you see this film and decide for yourself.