The Best Man

 

The Best Man

       Franklin J. Schaffner's 1964 film The Best Man follows a very heated presidential election between Henry Fonda's William Russel and Cliff Robertson's Joe Cantwell.  Throughout the film the audience is presented with the true nature of these election seasons, often being much less amicable than the public might perceive.  The two smear campaigns led by the different candidates, and their willingness to do so, shows just how turbulent these election seasons are.

       Throughout the film we are presented with the incredibly complicated nature of politics, with the standing president being very vague about his affiliations and acting differently between the two candidates.  We also see how easy it is to let your morals fall by the wayside in service of reaching that end-goal, the presidency.  While Cantwell is known very well for his predatory campaigning practices, Russel is steadfast in his convictions when it comes to corruption.  For the majority of the film he blatantly refuses to blackmail Cantwell, and it isn't until it's absolutely necessary that Russel brings in his damning evidence.

       These two show the power that this kind of position entails and the lengths people would go to to reach that goal.  During this notable shift in attitude we also lose a very fundamental part of Russel's character, his genuine honesty.  In the beginning of the film Russel is dead set on winning the election his way, the right way, but after constant pleading from his advisor and a threat from Cantwell himself, Russel is forced to act.  Russel compromises his honesty
and integrity, attempting to smear Cantwell.  This attempt fails when Cantwell reveals that his entire attempt was made under false pretense, but in this set of actions we see Russel fall back into line with his morals.

       Although Russel doesn't end up becoming the next president, he uses the powers that he has as a running candidate to redirect all of his votes towards a third candidate.  After acknowledging just how much the race had changed who he was and how he acted, Russel and his wife go home.  I found this ending to be incredibly poignant, as having the ability to admit when you're wrong and that there's better candidates is one of the most important parts of good leadership.