Review: Norman Mailer the American (2010)

[Mark R. Leeper]

NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: One of the great chroniclers of the American
culture and politics of his time was the novelist,
essayist, social critic, and political candidate Norman
Mailer, one of the most controversial figures of the
20th century. For most of his life, but particularly
the 1950s to 1970s, he documented his times and focused
the quiet rage of the public, often turning it violent.
Staccato and compelling, this fast-paced biography
recounts some of his views and opinions--writings that
alienated people and won supporters. It also focuses on
his out-of-control life style. The parallel stories of
public and private life are documented with extensive
interviews and contemporary documentary film footage.
Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10

There are people you appreciate are around; there are people you
wish they did not exist. And there are people that you are glad
they exist, but hopefully will never be around you. Norman
Kingsley Mailer, who lived from 1923 to 2007, was a chronicler of
his time, particularly the 1950s to 1970s. The breadth of the
subjects that he wrote about--and, incidentally expressed
contentious and often maddening opinions on--is simply stunning.
He is the author of ten novels and numerous works of non-fiction
and was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize; he was a
journalist, he wrote essays, poetry, plays, and movies. Mailer was
a founder of the New Journalism movement and one of the three
founders of New York's "The Village Voice". He even directed
films. In his time almost every American benefited from his
writing shaping the thinking in the country. And all but a few
benefited from not having him in close proximity. He was a violent
drunk, a heavy drug user; he bedded a very large number of
beautiful women and married six of them. He had nine children.
His angry writings attacked much of society and the people in it.
Mailer wrote about the history of his time writing about Adolf
Hitler, the World War II soldier's experience, the Kennedys, the
1968 national party conventions, civil rights, the murderer Gary
Gilmore, political power in America, Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali's
"Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman, and the list goes on
and on.

NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN, directed by Joseph Mantegna (not to be
confused with actor Joe Mantegna), is the fast-paced and sizzling
story of the life of Mailer. There is a lot of content packed into
102 minutes. Mantegna balances both Mailer's provocative
professional life with a torrid personal life. Interviews include
close family members from his six marriages and other sex partners,
political and personal enemies, and interviews with the Mailer
himself.

As the film recounts Mailer loved to alienate people. He was a
small man, only about five feet tall, but he loved to provoke
fights. In one famous incident on the normally placid Dick Cavett
Show he took on Cavett, Gore Vidal, and much of the audience in
angry contention, calling them all idiots. Mostly his fights were
battles of rhetoric that purveyed his rage and hate, but he was not
above pushing people close to him into physical fights. For
reasons even his friends could not explain he turned a favorite
game of his to be almost deadly. While playing bullfight with
friends being the bulls, he stabbed his current wife with a knife
telling his friends, "Let the bitch die." Later he and a cadre of
friends, associates, and literary luminaries convinced his wife--
who had nearly died--not to testify against Mailer. Few people
could have so fast-paced and juicy their biography fill a full-
length film. He was at once a genius and totally out of control.

One problem with the film is it may be just a bit over-stuffed.
There is more material than Mantegna could handle in standard
feature length. Frequently one is not quite sure if the life
details just heard are about the current book named or the previous
one. But Mantegna seems to remain detached from the man, reporting
the facts and not judging, something that the man who was his
subject would have been completely unable to do.

Mailer himself said he loved America and hated it. This biography
of him is one of this year's most rambunctious documentaries. I
rate NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or
8/10.

Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1683463/>

What others are saying:
<http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/norman_mailer_the_american_2011/>


Mark R. Leeper
mle...@optonline.net
Copyright 2012 Mark R. Leeper
NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: One of the great chroniclers of the American
culture and politics of his time was the novelist,
essayist, social critic, and political candidate Norman
Mailer, one of the most controversial figures of the
20th century. For most of his life, but particularly
the 1950s to 1970s, he documented his times and focused
the quiet rage of the public, often turning it violent.
Staccato and compelling, this fast-paced biography
recounts some of his views and opinions--writings that
alienated people and won supporters. It also focuses on
his out-of-control life style. The parallel stories of
public and private life are documented with extensive
interviews and contemporary documentary film footage.
Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10

There are people you appreciate are around; there are people you
wish they did not exist. And there are people that you are glad
they exist, but hopefully will never be around you. Norman
Kingsley Mailer, who lived from 1923 to 2007, was a chronicler of
his time, particularly the 1950s to 1970s. The breadth of the
subjects that he wrote about--and, incidentally expressed
contentious and often maddening opinions on--is simply stunning.
He is the author of ten novels and numerous works of non-fiction
and was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize; he was a
journalist, he wrote essays, poetry, plays, and movies. Mailer was
a founder of the New Journalism movement and one of the three
founders of New York's "The Village Voice". He even directed
films. In his time almost every American benefited from his
writing shaping the thinking in the country. And all but a few
benefited from not having him in close proximity. He was a violent
drunk, a heavy drug user; he bedded a very large number of
beautiful women and married six of them. He had nine children.
His angry writings attacked much of society and the people in it.
Mailer wrote about the history of his time writing about Adolf
Hitler, the World War II soldier's experience, the Kennedys, the
1968 national party conventions, civil rights, the murderer Gary
Gilmore, political power in America, Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali's
"Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman, and the list goes on
and on.

NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN, directed by Joseph Mantegna (not to be
confused with actor Joe Mantegna), is the fast-paced and sizzling
story of the life of Mailer. There is a lot of content packed into
102 minutes. Mantegna balances both Mailer's provocative
professional life with a torrid personal life. Interviews include
close family members from his six marriages and other sex partners,
political and personal enemies, and interviews with the Mailer
himself.

As the film recounts Mailer loved to alienate people. He was a
small man, only about five feet tall, but he loved to provoke
fights. In one famous incident on the normally placid Dick Cavett
Show he took on Cavett, Gore Vidal, and much of the audience in
angry contention, calling them all idiots. Mostly his fights were
battles of rhetoric that purveyed his rage and hate, but he was not
above pushing people close to him into physical fights. For
reasons even his friends could not explain he turned a favorite
game of his to be almost deadly. While playing bullfight with
friends being the bulls, he stabbed his current wife with a knife
telling his friends, "Let the bitch die." Later he and a cadre of
friends, associates, and literary luminaries convinced his wife--
who had nearly died--not to testify against Mailer. Few people
could have so fast-paced and juicy their biography fill a full-
length film. He was at once a genius and totally out of control.

One problem with the film is it may be just a bit over-stuffed.
There is more material than Mantegna could handle in standard
feature length. Frequently one is not quite sure if the life
details just heard are about the current book named or the previous
one. But Mantegna seems to remain detached from the man, reporting
the facts and not judging, something that the man who was his
subject would have been completely unable to do.

Mailer himself said he loved America and hated it. This biography
of him is one of this year's most rambunctious documentaries. I
rate NORMAN MAILER THE AMERICAN a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or
8/10.

Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1683463/>

What others are saying:
<http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/norman_mailer_the_american_2011/>


Mark R. Leeper
mle...@optonline.net
Copyright 2012 Mark R. Leeper