Hillary

I thought this documentary was very well done. It obviously had an agenda to make her more likable, which I believe it truly achieved. I thought they would glaze over Monica, but I felt they got into it. The only topic I wished they had put less fluff on was Benghazi.

Though I did vote for her in 2016 (a really, REALLY obvious choice), I was never a huge fan of Hillary. There's no particular reason for that dislike outside of liking other politicians/candidates better, but I also fall into that category of people for whom she just "rubbed the wrong way."

That said, as someone who grew up in a very conservative state and has a very conservative parent, I can tell you that there may not be a modern US political figure who has had their character assassinated quite like Hillary Clinton. Regardless of what you think about her politics or whether or not she's relatable, it is absolutely stunning the things that have been said about her without ANY basis in objective reality. Things get said about lots of politicians, but I think the difference is the degree for which people actually BELIEVE what is said about Hillary.

Think of it this way: A sizable chunk of the population actually thought that Trump was a safer and more stable choice than Hillary in 2016, that Hillary would get us into a war and destabilize the nation and this and that. There are those who STILL believe that, even after witnessing the clown car that has been this administration the last 3.5 years. I have to think that was possible, and least in substantial part, because the right has attacked her consistently for literal decades with so much ridiculous slander, libel, misrepresentations, and outright sensationalist defamation that even when she did things worthy of legitimate criticism, it just gets lost in the noise.

Again, regardless of her politics, I think any one of us can understand the desire to "set the record straight" if we were similarly defamed as she was and continues to be. Though the show is a bit too self-indulgent from time to time and occasionally glosses over certain subjects, the main thing it did for me is show that there's an actual person behind the politician, and I think she is generally sincere about most of what she says but just doesn't have a great public persona.

You can either believe that she's a lizard person capable of murder and incapable of feeling (while simultaneously being one of the best actors in the world), or that she's a politician who generally wants to do good but has made mistakes; but if you're going to go through life thinking she's the spawn of Satan, you can at least watch the documentary and hear it from the "horse's mouth" and decide for yourself instead of just letting your favorite pundit feed you more carefully curated and spun bull****. Your choice.

I'm not an American, and my views on HRC are fairly indifferent, but I think the documentary is well-made, and it clarifies somewhat, aspects of Hillary's character (alluding to flaws and all) within the context of American society.

People in political life are always on the defensive, but in America, this seems even more pronounced, and for Hillary, it really feels like you are watching a person with PTSD or some form of stress disorder - likely the accumulation of 20+ years under the spotlight.

She ultimately can't thrive in the 21st century where media is more focused on the characters it creates, than any notion of objectivity. Even if you come away (still) disliking her, if you take a moment to step back, the discomfort she displays when talking about herself is pretty understandable (and likely relatable).

Usually I'd be one to say, she would have fared better had she been open to greater criticism and other points of view, but given the toxicity within American political life, and genuine personal animus she seems to face, I think her philosophy on dealing with such matters, warranted and wise.

It is a sad reality that she seemed most natural and comfortable when outside the US, even when in the spotlight of other media, but hey, she is erudite, rich and successful, so even if many everyday Americans jeer as if she's a pantomime villain, she can always retire abroad. Let Trump or Biden deal with the masses. Yes, America is the leader among nations!

I was never a Hillary fan but this is so well made. I made a lot of assumptions without really knowing her as a person or where she came from. I basically just knew what the media fed me. She is quite human, she was very vulnerable and honest in the documentary and for that she should be admired. I would recommend that you don't buy the conspiracy theories about her and watch for yourself and keep an open mind. Watch it for what it was intended to be. Nothing was glossed over. Very thorough and well done.

Neither a love letter nor a negative diatribe. Interesting review of her life history with (for me at least) lots of new stuff, and lots more context for many of the big issues and debates that have swirled around her.