You Ain't Seen Me, Right? - Advise and Consent (1962)

Sick of alien invasions and intelligent sci-fi time-warpy thrillers starring Jake Gyllenhaal? Then we've got the solution for you! You Ain't Seen Me, Right? is our weekly feature that focuses on little known films none of which feature those two things I just mentioned. Well, they haven't yet, anyway.

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Advise and Consent (1962)

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Otto Preminger subscribed wholeheartedly to the axiom that film direction is one of the few dictatorial posts left. A bully with a notoriously short temper, he famously terrorized Marilyn Monroe while filming River of No Return (1954), driving the fragile bombshell to the brink of a breakdown. Preminger's brusque, autocratic manner belied a dependability, versatility and perfectionism that afforded him the opportunity to explore controversial subjects and break taboos.

The Moon is Blue (1953) was released without the approval of the Motion Picture Association due to its outrageous content, The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) was the first serious depiction of heroin addiction, Anatomy of a Murder (1959) dealt with rape in a daringly frank manner, and he even got Groucho Marx to take LSD as ‘research' for the role of God in Skidoo (1968).

Advise and Consent is an equally bold offering, dealing as it does with intrigue and duplicity in Washington. An ailing president (Franchot Tone) seeks the confirmation of Robert Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) for Secretary of State, a controversial candidate accused of being a Communist appeaser and a spendthrift by his rival for the post, Seabright Cooley (Charles Laughton). Chairing the Foreign Relations Committee formed to assess Leffingwell's suitability for the job is Brigham Anderson (Don Murray), an ambitious young senator who becomes the subject of a blackmail plot.

Preminger reunited with cinematographer Sam Leavitt and writer Wendell Mayes, both of whom worked with him on Anatomy of a Murder. Leavitt's crisp, brightly-lit photography perfectly highlights the imposing grandeur that conceals DC's dark underbelly, while Mayes' adaptation of Allen Drury's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel revels in the arcane rituals of the Senate. Preminger stuck largely to the meticulously composed master shots for which he was renowned, but that is not to say there aren't some striking single-shot set pieces, sweeping gracefully through the cavernous corridors of the Capitol Building and the august confines of the Senate floor.

Advise and Consent takes place in a hermetic, privileged milieu peopled with ‘devious, powerful men', where even the most honourable are not immune to realpolitik. Fonda exudes the relaxed charm and quiet dignity that made him such a fascinating actor, but it is shaded with the knowledge that Leffingwell is not the victim he initially appears, using Fonda's reputation for unimpeachable integrity to muddy the water. Laughton also charts this duality as the wily veteran whose unctuous charm and ad hominem oratory obscures a profound respect for the functions of government.

There is a thrilling uncertainty at play throughout Advise and Consent, leaving one constantly guessing as to who can be trusted, if anyone. The grave consequences of doctrinaires driven to dangerous lengths in pursuit of their aims are shown with unflinching candour, implying that many elected officials view the democratic process as a high-stakes game. Alas, Advise and Consent was the last great addition to Preminger's body of work, but his ability to confront often divisive social issues in a mainstream forum without didacticism or sentiment remained with him to the end.
There you go - seek out the film and watch. There won't be a test, but it's a sure way to win our respect. More from You Ain't Seen Me, Right? next week.