The King of Steeltown

With its shabby, mostly-abandoned main street, rusting factories, high unemployment, and substandard schools, the city of East Chicago, Indiana doesn't have much to commend it or to call its own. If one were forced to find something unique about the town, it would be its political culture, for behind East Chicago's polling places rumbles one of the last remaining examples of old line, backslapping, baby-kissing, saber-toothed, local political machines. First-time filmmaker Chris Sautter (himself a seasoned Democratic media consultant) has focused his cinema verité lens on the well-oiled cogs of this machine in action during the last ten days of a May 1999 Democratic primary election for mayor. In one corner is the incumbent, 70-something Robert A. Pastrick (he of the polyester suits, Jimmy Swaggart pompadour, and lupine grin) who has held the mayoral gig for 28 years. In the other corner is Pastrick's longtime rival Stephen R. Stiglich, portrayed in this film as a somewhat shadowy figure with a legally questionable past. Sautter spends most of his cinematic time tailing Pastrick and his pumped-up minions as they stump among a wildly enthusiastic blue collar constituency, spreading populist bonhomie and tales of East Chicago's imminent comeback. Along the way we hear about all sorts of dirty dealings at the polls--ballot tampering, electioneering, and monkeying with absentee ballots. The accusations come mainly from the Pastrick camp, but it's obvious that the mayor is no stranger to nasty, hardball tactics himself. Sautter's film is clearly in the mold of earlier works of political verité, such as Robert Drew's landmark Primary and D.A. Pennebaker's The War Room. Unfortunately, while there are some fascinating segments, The King of Steeltown somehow fails to capture either the drama or the defining moments that made these earlier films so great. Still, despite its shortcomings, this is a worthwhile addition to collections interested in American politics and American small-town culture. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (G. Handman)