The documentary has undergone a renaissance of sorts during the past couple of years; from the incendiary \Bowling for Columbine"" to the contemplative ""Fog of War."" We have already seen two documentaries capture substantial attention beyond the art house-Morgan Spurlock's amusing indictment of McDonald's, ""Super Size Me,"" and of course, Michael Moore's infamous ""Fahrenheit 9/11."" However, the best documentary of the year in terms of lucid narrative and solid structure is also the most unassuming: George Butler's outstanding ""Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry.""
Butler's film is exceedingly well-researched and edited, as its strengths lie in its simplicity. It does not seek to be a second-rate piece of propaganda in support of presidential candidate John Kerry, but present a gracious and insightful portrait of a born leader. Butler moves efficiently from mandatory scenes of Kerry's exuberant childhood to his career in Vietnam, and then to his significant efforts as a war protester. The movie's primary focus is on the decisive events in Vietnam that affected Kerry the most, and the change he sought to achieve by, among other things, organizing a key anti-war rally. Grainy clips of Kerry testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are particularly stirring. A plethora of anti-war tunes adorn the film's fluid transitions, and narration is provided by a multitude of diverse talking heads (from Kerry's war buddies to historians).
""Going Upriver"" is a lean, straightforward documentary that presents its points subtly and effectively without adding any tempting flourishes. It is almost entirely composed of old footage with varied voiceovers, which eliminates the need for filler or superfluous information. Every scene and every image has a specific function, and as a result, the movie is assembled confidently and does not feel in any way like a mishmash of events. Butler has triumphed where his colleagues Spurlock and Moore have fallen short-he lets his extensive footage speak for itself. This kind of filmmaking, especially when compared to fare such as ""Fahrenheit 9/11,"" exemplifies the aphorism ""less is more.""
One minor flaw is that the film portrays Kerry is an extremely sympathetic light; not a single moment concentrates on any of his shortcomings. But then again, Butler centers on a period in Kerry's life where he strove peacefully to make a difference during a time of predominantly violent social protest. Kerry's heroic activism is admirable no matter which way you look at it, so thus a movie concentrating on it is going to be immensely favorable.
""Going Upriver"" is a dignified, professional piece of work that asserts its thesis through cogent organization and compelling footage. It humbly explores the importance of American civil disobedience by looking at a man who patiently sought to institute change successfully. Much like Kerry himself, ""Going Upriver"" is a modest but powerful film, and presents itself with understated eloquence.
