Politics is, by nature, a game of smoke and mirrors. An entire industry has been created to manage image and control message yet the following documentaries offer up behind the scenes observations of the very machinery of elections, free of spin and full of fascinating insights.

1. PRIMARY (1960)

Robert Drew and a crew that included doc film legends Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles and D. A. Pennebaker set the precedent for political documentaries with this vérité look at the 1960 Democratic nomination battle between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. Drew focuses on the critically important Wisconsin primary. Leacock's camera follows close behind each candidate as they traverse the state shaking hands, kissing babies and connecting to voters with dramatically contrasting styles (and theme songs). "Primary" is an intimate account from inside the innermost sanctum of not one, but two presidential campaigns and a rare archive of the origins of the Kennedy mystique. After screening the film for Kennedy, Drew was invited to continue to document the presidency by placing cameras in the oval office.

2. THE WAR ROOM (1993)

D. A. Penebaker and Chris Hegedus take us inside Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign, turning the tactical game of political strategy into a spectator sport. The filmmakers cleverly resolve the problem of having limited access to the candidate by focusing on the dynamic duo of chief strategist James Carville and media director George Stephanopoulos. The hyperactive Carville and erudite Stephanopoulos are compelling and surprisingly candid as they eagerly toil at anticipating and responding to George Bush's every move. Carville provides the greatest amusement, bounding around in jeans and LSU baseball hat, shouting now-classic catchphrases like: "It's the economy, stupid," all the while pursuing a relationship with the enemy, GOP operative Mary Matalin (now his wife).

3. A PERFECT CANDIDATE (1996)

R. J. Cutler (the producer on "The War Room") and David Van Taylor reveal the naked underbelly of political ambition in this chilling account of the 1994 Virginia Senate race between Oliver North and Chuck Rob. Seven years after being embroiled in the Iran-Contra Scandal, North employs the morally ambiguous, Mark Goodin to create a campaign around his 'war hero" status and "family values" in an effort to unseat the scandal-plagued Democratic incumbent. An unctuous North courts the religious right while Senator Robb struggles with the most basic tasks, unraveling amid the seedy details of his private life. Washington Post reporter Don Baker provides a running commentary of the struggle for voters to discern which is the lesser of two evils.

4. FEED (1992)

"Feed"'s filmmakers, Kevin Rafferty and James Ridgeway, acquired their footage from Brian Springer's satellite feeds, also later used to make 1995's "Spin." Compiling the greatest hits of candid moments of candidates and journalists who didn't think anybody was watching, Rafferty and Ridgeway expose the vain, cranky or just plain silly people behind the carefully contrived public images. Watch George Bush, Bill Clinton, Pat Buchanan, Paul Tsongas, Bob Kerrey and more in this ridiculous comedy that borders on art-house film.

5. SPIN (1995)

Using much of the same material as the 1992 movie, "Feed," Springer adds a layer of analysis to the stark contrast between what is said when reporters and politicians belief the cameras are off with what they present to the public. Setting the scene with an overview of the political climate at the time that included the Rodney King riots and partisan warfare over family values, Springer examines the issue of censorship and provides an in depth explanation of how he collected the incredibly revealing footage.

6. STREET FIGHT (2005)

Marshall Curry's "Street Fight" documents the rise of ideological young charmer Corey Booker in his effort to unseat Newark longtime mayor Sharp James. As the title suggest, the election is not fought on the airwaves with high-end media consultants but in the streets with door-to-door visits in the most forsaken neighborhoods, brawling volunteers, scurrilous rumors, and old-fashioned intimidation tactics. "Street Fight" reveals the ugly side of "rough and tumble politics" but it is also serves as an encouraging account of a steadfast underdog's victory against powerful odds.

7. THE LAST PARTY (1993)

Mark Benjamin and Mark Levin's "The Last Party" is a refreshing take on the 1992 election. Robert Downey Jr., comes off as a daffier version of Hunter S. Thompson, turning politics into a playground as he scampers about the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, making light of the country's troubles by comparing them to his own personal struggles. Downey Jr.'s viewpoint is uniquely engrossing as he ties his familial dysfunction into a commentary on our national identity.

[Photos: "Primary," Drew Associates, 1960; "Spin," Brian Springer, 1995]