Path to War (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writer (WGA):

Daniel Giat (written by)

Release Date:

18 May 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Beyond the battlefields of Vietnam. Inside the halls of power. A different kind of war would decide the fate of a nation.

Plot:

In the mid-1960s, President Johnson and his foreign-policy team debate the decision to withdraw from or escalate the war in Vietnam.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | President | Vietnam War | Light At The End Of The Tunnel | Troop Buildup

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 17 nominations

Cast

Michael Gambon	...	Lyndon Johnson
Donald Sutherland	...	Clark Clifford
Alec Baldwin	...	Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense
Bruce McGill	...	George Ball, Undersecretary of State
James Frain	...	Richard Goodwin
Felicity Huffman	...	Lady Bird Johnson
Frederic Forrest	...	General Earle G. Wheeler
John Aylward	...	Dean Rusk, Secretary of State
Philip Baker Hall	...	Everett Dirkson
Tom Skerritt	...	General William Westmoreland
Diana Scarwid	...	Marny Clifford
Sarah Paulson	...	Luci Baines Johnson
Gerry Becker	...	Walt Rostow
Peter Jacobson	...	Adam Yarmolinsky
Cliff De Young	...	McGeorge Bundy, National Security Advisor (as Cliff DeYoung)

Runtime:

165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:A (Ontario) | UK:15 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Trivia:

The part of Special Assistant to the President Jack Valenti was played by his son, John Valenti, in the latter's first acting role. Jack Valenti later headed the Motion Picture Association of America for 38 years.

Quotes:

Lyndon Baines Johnson: Haven't you been paing attention? Hell, they got hundred-year-old women re-supplying them!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Hail to the Chief

Lyndon Johnson: Tragic Figure?

Well-made, at times moving HBO dramatization of the goings-on within the White House as the Vietnam War escalated under Lyndon Johnson.

Michael Gambon plays the U.S. president as a sort of tragic figure torn between his passion for "Great Society" social programs and a resiliency to win the war. The Johnson seen in PATH TO WAR is certainly not the war-monger that protesters of his day alleged. He's meticulous and thoughtful, though perhaps too easily persuaded by his advisers, most notably Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Alec Baldwin in his most memorable performance in a long time) and Clark Clifford (an equally superb Donald Sutherland).

In his final film, director John Frankenheimer could be criticized for being a touch soft on Johnson. But this approach, fair or not, serves the film well, allowing us to more easily empathize with the straight-talking Texan. He had men of very high stature and respect telling him that just one more bombing, just one more plane full of troops, just a few more months and the war would be won. The viewer has the 20/20 hindsight of history, but Frankenheimer was careful to remind us that Johnson did not. This makes for some emotional moments. Scenes of the reluctant war president signing sympathy letters for families of the fallen are quietly moving, as is his trip to meet with the wounded in Vietnam. Just as poignant is the instance of Johnson stomping out of a meeting, instructing a speech writer that because of the war's costs, there could be no mention of his beloved Great Society in the next State of the Union address. It seems all Johnson wanted was a better life for Americans; all he got was a bloody quagmire.

As the film and war rage on, body counts rising, Johnson unravels. Consumed by years of warfare with no end in sight, he becomes tense, bitter and worn down. Whether they like Johnson or not, the viewer feels the weight on his shoulders. Even someone unfamiliar with how this story ends could predict it from watching PATH TO WAR. To conclude the 165-minute running time, Johnson delivers his famous televised address announcing he would not seek re-election. He may have wanted to, yet knew he could not.

PATH TO WAR is a sharp interpretation of a tragically fascinating era. Unlike some other versions of political history (Oliver Stone, anyone?), the film never comes off as mean-spirited, even toward characters who remain infamous. It is a straightforward look at the complexities of the often-muddy waters of war and politics. It is also a quite memorable piece of work.