Full disclosure: The Campaign Trailer Critic has not seen the entire documentary on Sarah Palin, directed by Stephen Bannon.
She's seen the trailer. That's enough.
The full length documentary opened on an unfortunate weekend, it was the Greatest Box Office Open Ever, thanks to the last segment in the epic Harry Potter franchise, which grossed a whopping $168.6 million.
In comparison, the brazenly titled 'The Undefeated' took in pennies--only $65,132, or 6,513 per screen. The film's backers told The Hollywood Reporter was a success, considering they didn't launch a traditional PR campaign (instead depending on social media and word of mouth). But honestly, $65,132 isn't anything to write home about. Gabriel Snyder, editor of the Atlantic Wire compared the number to "Fahrenheit 9/11" another documentary criticized by those with differing political opinions as a propaganda piece, which posted a $27,558 per screen average on its first weekend.
Furthermore, the film was uniformly panned.
In The Atlantic: "This Sarah Palin hosanna is done in by the simple fact that its director needs to go back to film school."
In Time: "The movie may tempt even the most ardent conservatives to emulate their idol's tenure as governor and walk out halfway through."
In the LA Times: "Essentially a Sarah Palin infomercial masquerading as a documentary, the film wavers between depicting her as a victim in need of backup and a strong leader worthy of devotion."
Hmm. Those reviews might make one feel somewhat defeated.
Palin is not directly behind the film, but it would be inaccurate to call this anything but a promotional video for the woman sometimes known as a candidate.
The problem with the trailer, and from what I've read of the full-length feature, are all the terrible filmic devices intended to make the picture interesting, but which unintentionally make it ridiculous. From the opening thunderous soundtrack fit more for the latest X-men feature, to the words flashing, "Warrior...Mother," (another way of saying "Mama Grizzly") to the staged black and white talking head testimonials against a white screen that mimic a Calvin Klein ad, it's hard to take seriously. Granted, all political films are propaganda, it's just that this "documentary" is bad propaganda.
Bannon presents Palin as a figurehead for all the frustrated Americans, the Undefeated. It's true, there are a lot of frustrated Americans who laud Palin for her anti-establishment attitude. But speaking directly at viewers, isolated from context against a white background, the voices of these Americans don't ring true--they look like hired hands. The documentary has its mandatory home video shot, family photos--all the elements that film portraits are supposed to have to reveal new facets about a person. But this documentary offers no insight into the former Governor of Alaska, just more fodder for the SP dog and pony show.