It is my conviction that films must in some way convey one or more messages to their public. In most cases they do, but the narrative of The president's analyst is a difficult nut to crack. The story is amusing but superficial, and avoids to play on emotions. I suspect that director Flicker is inspired by the Nouvelle Vague, which at the time was quite popular. Of course the leading director of this movement is Jean-Luc Godard. In fact the Godard style emerged as a rebellion against the authoritarian rule of the (French) presidential regime. If presidents do not do it to their wives, they do it to their country. Flicker addresses many of the social events, that shocked the people in the late sixties. The main theme is political spying, which still dominated the news in those days of the Cold War. The film portrays a truly paranoid society. Show me where Stalin is buried, and I will show you a communist plot. The title shots display a political execution, which according to the main character psychiatrist Schaefer is a rational and respectable deed. Note that at the time the people were confronted with the Vietnam war on a daily basis. However, it soon becomes apparent that the FBI has transformed killing into merely a bureaucratic act. Thus Schaefer himself is eventually targeted by them. For some reason the telephone company is also involved in the conspiracy plot. Fortunately, at the time an alternative emerges, the counter culture of the New Age movement. And indeed a group of hippies helps Schaefer to escape from his assailants. He immediately blends in with his new companions. They make love and say: "That was wonderful for you. How was it for me?" (just kidding). Remember that actually the humanist psychology was an important part of the New Age, certainly for the middle classes. For such an absurd script it is not a spoiler to reveal the final scene: during Christmas Schaefer fraternizes with an American and Soviet spy, which provides for a happy ending. Once again the fat guy with the red suit and white beard gets all the credit. The film is recommendable, but be warned: you must know the atmosphere of those days in order to truly appreciate it.
Review of The President's Analyst
