OBAMA: IN PURSUIT OF A MORE PERFECT UNION

US, 2021, 3X105, Colour.

Directed by Peter W. Kunhardt.

This is a three-part HBO documentary from August 2021. It is well worth seeing and reflecting on, the significance of the first black American president, and in the light of the four years of the subsequent Trump administration. And, especially with the election of President Biden, seen at the side of Obama during his campaign and the eight years of presidency.

The film has a subtitle: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. And, this is the thrust of the documentary. It is not an analysis of Obama’s presidency, details of American legislation (though an emphasis on Obamacare), practically nothing on foreign policy and relationships of the United States to countries around the world. Rather, the emphasis is on bringing all Americans together, the experience of racism, Obama’s vision and attempts to bring races together. “We can.”

The series has three parts: the first part showing Obama’s origin and background, his growing up, family issues, his education, his talents, organising, politics. The second part focuses on the 2008 campaign. The third part is an overview of his presidency in the light of the more perfect union theme.

The documentary has the advantage of huge range of archival footage to draw on. There are many photos of Obama when young, with his intellectual father from Kenya and is leaving his family, his white mother, many tributes to her, and, especially, his white grandmother. Later he has the opportunity to meet his relatives in Kenya. The first part traces in some detail his growing up, education, time in Indonesia, university studies, Harvard and his achievement and positions, his writing, his move to Chicago, church connections, moving into organising and, eventually, into politics.

John Kerry invited Obama to speak at the 2004 Democrat Convention and his visionary speech made quite an impression, making him a credible candidate for the presidency in 2008. The film shows the range of responses to his candidature, the African-American support, the white racism and, a range of dirty tricks and embarrassment and his dignified handling of these situations. We travel to the various Primaries, the competition from Hillary Clinton, the influence of Bill Clinton. And, the extraordinary experience of the election night and his winning the presidency.

The producers have been able to document all this visually with wide and substantial television footage.

And, there is quite a range of talking heads throughout the series, black leaders, especially Al Sharpton, and with Jesse Jackson. There are also significant white commentators but, most especially, Obama’s political adviser, David Axelrod who is a wise and steadying influence throughout all these years. There are also interesting comments from the editor of the New Yorker, David Remnick.

The third part shows the years of the presidency, the drama of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, Obamacare (and what seems to outsiders the irrational opposition, “socialist manoeuvrings”, by those who would benefit from the legislation), continuing race issues.

But, all the time, the series focuses on Obama’s outreach to both black and white, combating, with some humour at Donald Trump’s expense, the conspiracy theories about his being Muslim, not an American… And, all the time, especially with deaths of black men at the hands of the police, trying to bring everyone together, with some lapses which he acknowledges, but, amongst others, his moving presence, along with the vice president, at the funeral of the eight women who were shot by the young racist in the synagogue.

There is no mention that Hillary Clinton became his Sec Gen, but she appears in many sequences. There is no explicit mention of Joe Biden although the film was released during the first year of his presidency. His continued presence with Obama indicates Obama’s influence on Biden.

At first in the background, there is Michelle and the couple’s two daughters, then the campaigns, the years in the White House, Michelle Obama emerging more and more as a public figure.

(The general response to this series has been strongly positive – but, as indication of the opposition to Barack Obama’s vision, here are to bloggers comments from the IMDb, to hostile, along with 13 enthusiastic bloggers.

This is the biggest grade A lies I've seen, it's a joke. How this man got a TV show is not beyond me as we all know the Nexus these people run. This series is embarrassing & hard to watch. Rather watch lamestream News. Actually don't.

Inaccurate nonsense presented as facts. This whole thing is a terrible joke, like it's a big lie with the straightest face.. Just terrible, time will play it's role.. wait n watch.)