We were reticent to see this documentary, but it presents a rare, inside and self-deprecating look at what makes former White House strategist, Steve Bannon, tick. Filmmaker, Alison Klayman, followed the former White house strategist, verité-style, around the globe for over a year and shows how he is now spreading his Nationalist agenda in Europe. Klayman’s insight was further illuminated with Q & A at our screening.
Bannon was the political advisor fired by President Donald J. Trump after the controversial reaction to the explosive Unite the Right, considered a white supremacist rally, that became violent in Charlottesville in August, 2017. He was also dumped by Breitbart News, the ultra conservative web site. He was one of the founders. He also lost his radio show.
Producer Marie Therese Guirgis used to work with Bannon. He was her boss at an arthouse film distribution company in the early 2000’s and they kept in touch even though Guirgis disagreed with his politics. She thought it would make a great documentary and asked Alison Klayman to collaborate.
The first scenes are telling as Bannon’s nephew/assistant is whipping up a healthy veggie green smoothy for the least likely person you’d ever expect to drink one. Bannon’s disheveled appearance has alway been likened to that of a homeless, drunk, shabbily dressed man. Even when you see him being worked on by make-up artists for speaking and TV appearances, it doesn’t seem to help. His signature attire is always wearing 2 shirts.
Bannon talks freely in this film about his political strategy which is anti- immigrant, anti-semitic, and his economic nationalist agenda. He calls it “The Movement” the purpose of which is to undermine to win elections spouting rhetoric that will make the far right more powerful throughout Europe. Klayman credits him with being more manipulative with the media than being a great political strategist.
There are two segments that show him dealing with reporters. Paul Lewis, Associate Editor of The Guardian, came prepared, and goes round and round with him about “The Movement.” Lewis says in these, usually 2 hour interviews which Klayman condenses, Bannon has 2 modes. One is charming and courteous. The other is aggressive, combative and sometimes filled with rage. Another segment shows Bannon interviewed on a British TV show about Brexit and the female interviewing him knows her stuff. Even he keeps saying over and over as they’re leaving the TV station, “Wow, she’s tough!” And keeps repeating it.
Klayman says being able to travel with Bannon and see him in so many different situations gave her a window not only into his world, but also into today’s Republican party. He’s been portrayed as the great manipulator and as dark, and evil, but, in this film, Klayman makes him more human than you’d expect. He always looks vulnerable and somewhat uncomfortable in his own skin. Klayman shows he still puts himself out there whenever he can. He’s tenacious, but also seen as somewhat shy. There’s nothing in this film about his personal relationships. Just for the record, he has been married 3 times and had 3 daughters from two of the previous marriages.
Klayman points out how tenacious he is by how much he repeats the same mantras, including what he thinks are social niceties. Every time he’s about to take a photo along with a man and a woman, he says with a sly smile, “a rose between two thorns.” It’s pretty disgusting, annoying and you’ll hear it repeated often. Klayman is patient with Bannon and you’ll hear her ask questions off-camera as she’s documenting his activities. She shot 200 hours of content. But she says she found out where he drew the line. When he didn’t want her around, he’d simply ask, “Did you get what you need?” and that was her cue to leave for awhile.
You’ll see his mind always working. He’s totally engaged surrounded by right-wing leaders he’s trying to influence, and you can see the wheels turning even when he’s alone, which seems to be often. Even then, he keeps very busy on cell phones looking for where he can wield ultimate influence and get rich sympathizers to keep him going. Klayman told us that he’s a millionaire funded by billionaires who want to maintain their advantages in the world. Just one of his big donors in the movie gave him $100 million.
The scenes of Bannon going to Venice to see the big premiere of a film about him in 2018 are also revealing. He never went to see the film, but instead stayed holed up in his hotel for 5 days straight, meeting with far right leaders, including a former President of Goldman Sachs where he used to work. Talking with Klayman, she agreed he seems to think of people as commodities. There is not empathy for anyone’s situation unless they can be used for propaganda which he sees as positive to push his Global Nationalist agenda. Time will tell. We’ll have to see if he gets those right-wing leaders elected in Europe.
You may not want to see this film, but we have to admit that it’s compelling and also scary to see that someone with who doesn’t appear to be that bright could be that influential. He has a Harvard Education and frequently refers to what he learned at Goldman Sachs. Numbers and money seem to rule. He’s not concerned about those less fortunate who are on the low end of the economic spectrum. He thinks they should just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.
Klayman doesn’t try to color Bannon’s world. She and producer Marie Therese Guirgis, recognized Bannon as an interesting character study. Klayman took on the monumental task following Bannon for over a year that often put her in uncomfortable situations. And this film may make you feel same. But her excellent use of cinema verité to show him reacting in the moment ably brings this political influencer out from behind the curtain so you can decide for yourself.
