Path to War

After a brilliant beginning in the early 1960s, director John Frankenheimer's career fell into swift decline and never recovered. In 1994, however, he returned to his television roots and directed a series of outstanding films for cable; this 2002 HBO docudrama is the last, completed shortly before his death. Path to War skillfully recounts the period from President Lyndon Johnson's inaugural ball in 1965 through his decision not to seek reelection in 1968, charting the slide of the Johnson administration into the quagmire of Vietnam and examining the impact of the conflict on the president's ambitious domestic agenda. Physically, Michael Gambon might not seem the ideal choice, but he makes LBJ both fearsome and sympathetic, and while Alec Baldwin doesn't quite convince as the cerebral Robert McNamara, Donald Sutherland expertly conveys Clark Clifford's smoothness and skill in the political ring. Backed by a large and able supporting cast (including Gary Sinise, reprising his George Wallace from Frankenheimer's earlier telefilm on the governor), Path to War is an intelligently scripted story--told almost entirely in terms of debate within the councils of government--that offers a balanced, incisive depiction of a historical moment that continues to resonate in U.S. socio-political thought today. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include interviews with the director and lead actors, historical materials provided by Time magazine, and DVD-ROM educational features. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a powerful docudrama.] (F. Swietek)