The War Room Analysis

While directing The War Room, a documentary account of Clinton’s 1992 election campaign, D.A. Pennebaker had to work within a world of limitations. Limited time, limited access to his subjects, and even self-imposed limitations rooted in Pennebaker’s cinema verite style all could have led to a narrow-scoped film lacking in depth and clarity. Instead however, Pennebaker flourishes in this world of limitations. His resulting documentary uses camera angles, audio, and humor to humanize the often-cold world of political campaigns. At the beginning of the film the Clinton campaign is still small, focused on winning the primaries. Because the campaign has only begun, Pennebaker has more access to Clinton and can film a more intimate portrait. He …show more content…
As Clinton becomes more of a celebrity, Pennebaker must use wide-angle shots from a distance, rushed shots taken while surrounded by members of the media, or clips from television when he wants to show Clinton. Although this could be seen as a creatively confining, Pennebaker uses the images representative of Clinton’s celebrity in juxtaposition with scenes of George and James from within the campaign offices to develop a sense of intimacy with James and George. The cutting between the public and private spheres of the campaign reveals to the viewer the inner complexities that exist within a political machine. The aforementioned zoom used on Clinton’s face was employed throughout the film on other characters. This may have arisen out of Pennebaker’s inability to stand close to his subjects without compromising his characteristic “fly on the wall” approach. Despite possibly arising out of necessity, Pennebaker’s artful employment of zooms makes them …show more content…
Pennebaker often J-cuts the applause to create continuity between scenes. This is especially important when trying to smoothen the transition between the private and public aspects of the campaign and to alert the viewer when these transitions are about to occur. Unlike other Pennebaker films, The War Room features non-diegetic sound that sets the mood. Pennebaker, knowing that people are often hesitant and distrusting of politics and politicians, relaxes the viewer with his addition of upbeat, cheerful music. The piano solo near the end of the film is another example of Pennebaker’s employment of sound to conjure specific emotions in his audience. Pennebaker cuts between shots of Clinton on the campaign trail with the performing pianist, all the while using the audio from the piano. This audio linkage connects the campaign’s busy schedule with the quick tempo of the music, creating a hectic mood. Pennebaker uses sound to set and reset both the film’s pace and its general emotional