Dan Rather chooses "The Candidate."

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By Alison Willmore on 07/31/2008

Film in Focus has been gathering lists of five favorite films about political campaigns or, in some cases, just politics or politicians, from an array of political journalists including Katha Pollitt (on "Election": "People who hated Hillary Clinton compared her to Tracy, but that just shows they don't remember the movie very well, because Tracy really was the best candidate."), Rick Perlstein (who offers the unexpected choice of Max OphÃ¼ls' "The Earrings de Madame de") and David Sirota. The latest to give his picks is none other than Dan Rather:

4. The Candidate
The quintessential campaign movie (and one that may well appear on everyone's list). In focusing on the unseemly emphasis on image and money in modern political campaigns it was prescient in the 1970s and is as relevant as ever now. Much more than a message film, it managed to catch the behind-the-scenes feel of a political campaign in a way that plain rings true.

[Photo: "The Candidate," Warner Bros. Pictures, 1972]

+ Dan Rather - Five Political Films (Film in Focus)
+ Katha Pollitt - Five Political Films (Film in Focus)
+ Rick Perlstein - Five Political Films (Film in Focus)
+ David Sirota - Five Political Films (Film in Focus)