Written by John Shea
The obvious reason is that he didn't bomb the snot out of Iran and regularly disagrees publicly with the current President. But that's a discussion for another day. What makes this documentary so interesting is that Carter is simply a fascinating figure, whether you agree with him politically or not.
The movie follows along as Carter goes on the road to promote his new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Early on we see him at home in the tiny town of Plains, Georgia. Carter speaks at his church of embracing science as a way of better understanding creation. He goes to a barbecue and fits right in as an ordinary guy. There is virtually no sign of a politician in his behavior. And on tour he isn't much different. Sure, he talks about different things and chooses his words a hair more carefully, but he comes across as largely the same person, something that generally can't be said about politicians. There is a sense of wonder in his eyes, as if he is genuinely and continuously fascinated by the people he meets.
The title of his book does him no favors with his detractors. The word apartheid is inflammatory and in this context seems to blame Israelis more than Palestinians, which becomes a point of steady controversy through out the book tour. Carter stands resolutely behind his ideas though. He chose the title looking to kick up a debate, so he's not exactly surprised by the results. A continuing theme is defending the book from people who haven't bothered to read it and often misinterpret the title.
The documentary is clearly in favor of Carter and doesn't beat on him too much, although it does give his biggest critics a fair chance to air their grievances. But it also drops in clips of Israeli tanks and bulldozers crushing Palestinian settlements and installing their beastly wall, images that powerfully back up Carter's argument. Carter faces an uphill battle because he must contend with the idea put forth by many that criticizing Israeli amounts to anti-semitism. Similarly, criticizing Bush's war on terror is often equated with supporting terrorists. Both are ridiculous arguments but feed on emotional hot buttons that make them popular.
But all of that is not what makes me recommend this movie. It's Carter himself that is the draw here. Just watching the man go is something to behold. Despite being in his eighties, he's as active a person as you could find, regularly biking, swimming and doing construction work for Habitat for Humanity. He's an evangelical Christian but also a nuclear physicist who sees no problem correlating science and religion. He has held one of the most powerful positions in the world but happily lives in a small town hanging out with ordinary people. He speaks at his own policy center but gets choked up talking about the interns. And he seems to be able to talk amiably and politely with anyone, even if they are pissing him off. Carter is just plain comfortable in his own skin whatever area of life he has to deal with.
I can't say I agree with Carter a lot politically but that didn't much matter with this documentary. It gave me a view of the man in more detail than I've previously had and that paints a fascinating picture. Love him or hate him, it's easy to watch this film and at least respect him.
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 15:58
Former US President Jimmy Carter has long been a punching bag for the right, but watching this documentary makes it hard to understand why. He seems to spend virtually every waking moment trying to facilitate peace and help people in need. What could be so offensive about a guy like that?The obvious reason is that he didn't bomb the snot out of Iran and regularly disagrees publicly with the current President. But that's a discussion for another day. What makes this documentary so interesting is that Carter is simply a fascinating figure, whether you agree with him politically or not.
The movie follows along as Carter goes on the road to promote his new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Early on we see him at home in the tiny town of Plains, Georgia. Carter speaks at his church of embracing science as a way of better understanding creation. He goes to a barbecue and fits right in as an ordinary guy. There is virtually no sign of a politician in his behavior. And on tour he isn't much different. Sure, he talks about different things and chooses his words a hair more carefully, but he comes across as largely the same person, something that generally can't be said about politicians. There is a sense of wonder in his eyes, as if he is genuinely and continuously fascinated by the people he meets.
The title of his book does him no favors with his detractors. The word apartheid is inflammatory and in this context seems to blame Israelis more than Palestinians, which becomes a point of steady controversy through out the book tour. Carter stands resolutely behind his ideas though. He chose the title looking to kick up a debate, so he's not exactly surprised by the results. A continuing theme is defending the book from people who haven't bothered to read it and often misinterpret the title.
The documentary is clearly in favor of Carter and doesn't beat on him too much, although it does give his biggest critics a fair chance to air their grievances. But it also drops in clips of Israeli tanks and bulldozers crushing Palestinian settlements and installing their beastly wall, images that powerfully back up Carter's argument. Carter faces an uphill battle because he must contend with the idea put forth by many that criticizing Israeli amounts to anti-semitism. Similarly, criticizing Bush's war on terror is often equated with supporting terrorists. Both are ridiculous arguments but feed on emotional hot buttons that make them popular.
But all of that is not what makes me recommend this movie. It's Carter himself that is the draw here. Just watching the man go is something to behold. Despite being in his eighties, he's as active a person as you could find, regularly biking, swimming and doing construction work for Habitat for Humanity. He's an evangelical Christian but also a nuclear physicist who sees no problem correlating science and religion. He has held one of the most powerful positions in the world but happily lives in a small town hanging out with ordinary people. He speaks at his own policy center but gets choked up talking about the interns. And he seems to be able to talk amiably and politely with anyone, even if they are pissing him off. Carter is just plain comfortable in his own skin whatever area of life he has to deal with.
I can't say I agree with Carter a lot politically but that didn't much matter with this documentary. It gave me a view of the man in more detail than I've previously had and that paints a fascinating picture. Love him or hate him, it's easy to watch this film and at least respect him.
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
