Jacques Chirac

Relations between France and America, usually cordial, have hit a bumpy patch of late: France's reluctance to support America's invasion of Iraq moved some legislators to rename our favorite junk food "freedom fries," and France's periodic assertion that "France first" should be the bulwark of French foreign policy never fails to perplex and annoy Americans. This timely entry in A&E's Biography series profiles France's current President, Jacques Chirac, who has sometimes been called the most American of recent French presidents (he prefers beer to wine, went to Harvard in the 1950s, and even worked in the U.S. for a while). Chirac is depicted here as a born politician, a man of sensual appetites in perpetual motion, who loves to meet the public, press the flesh, and campaign. Critics charge that Chirac is all too willing to change his convictions like a suit of clothes, leading some to dub him a "chameleon Bonaparte" or simply "super liar" (Chirac's position as a reformist mayor of Paris enhanced his image, though some juicy financial scandals provided hot copy for the press). The program notes how the trauma of France's prolonged war in Algeria (where Chirac served) helped shape France's postwar presidents, and scholars and diplomats discuss Chirac's relationship with Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, and other postwar French leaders. In addition, this portrait underscores Chirac's willingness to work with American presidents, particularly his help in mediating an end to the war in Bosnia (he was also one of the first world leaders to express strong support for America after the 9/11 attacks). Curiously, although noting that politics is a family affair for Chirac, the film provides few details on his early life or his relationships with other family members. A satisfactory, though incomplete portrait--not to mention one that will date quickly--this is an optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)