The Brink

Alison Klayman’s fly-on-the-wall documentary follows far-right political activist (and former Trump aide) Steve Bannon after his departure from the White House in mid-2017 through the fall of 2018 as he works to build a worldwide 'populist' movement while helping right-wing candidates in the U.S., such as Alabama’s Roy Moore. The Brink gives Bannon ample opportunity to express his views—and to deny that they are in any way racist or dangerous—as he travels the globe to plan campaigns and advise political operatives whose ideas mirror his own. Bannon makes every effort to present himself as an ordinary Joe, but it quickly becomes clear that Klayman is not out to humanize her subject, but is rather engaged in a not-so-subtle act of demonization, as in her emphasis on Bannon’s visit to Auschwitz, where he opines that Birkenau was more horrifying because unlike Auschwitz it was built from scratch, designed by experts who were unaware of the horrors they were abetting (the implication being that Bannon is also using his abilities to fashion something awful, and the question being whether he realizes it). Clearly, Klayman is appalled by Bannon’s views, but Bannon believes that there is no such thing as bad publicity, so while The Brink is a solid piece of cinematic reportage that offers an intimate, layered portrait of the man, it also gives him the chance to reach viewers who might become followers—which is undoubtedly why he agreed to give Klayman access in the first place. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include additional scenes and interviews (32 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for this timely profile.] (F. Swietek)