 J. Edgar Hoover was not a nice man. Or
a good man. Or a particularly American man. A malicious,
vindictive man prone to abusing the power he wielded (power
which none, even those at high levels of government, dared
challenge), he gathered his great power through the agency
he helped found – the Federal
Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Few have been the men with
such unchecked influence and ability to act above the law.
Hoover acted for nearly 50 years as head of the FBI, serving
under eight presidents … but serving under them in title only, because the empire of information Hoover
created made him emperor of all things blackmail, capable
of making and breaking the most powerful people in the world
through the agency he controlled with an iron fist. From political
“radicals” to civil rights leaders to outspoken
artists and musicians, if you drew the eye of J. Edgar Hoover,
a file would soon be created with your name on it. His was
a reign of fear and paranoia, a time when Americans were taught
to distrust those who failed to toe arbitrary lines created
by men like Hoover.
MPI
Home Video’s J. Edgar Hoover And The Great American
Inquisitions offers a look at the man, and most specifically,
at some of his most egregious abuses of power. Starting in
the 1920s and continuing until his retirement, Hoover went
after communists, imagined and otherwise, with a ferocity
nearly unmatched. But rather than spewing the fire and brimstone
of Senator Joseph McCarthy, Hoover used covert operations
like COINTELPRO, or Counter Intelligence Program, to spy on
American “dissidents” –  dissidents who included
such noteworthy troublemakers as Martin Luther King, Jr. Privacy,
the rule of law, even the Constitution itself, none of it
stood in the way of his personal vendettas.
Scholarly,
focused and laden with information, J. Edgar Hoover
And The Great American Inquisitions largely avoids
sensationalizing the history of the FBI. Or more accurately,
it sensationalizes the way J. Edgar Hoover ran his kingdom
only as much as the subject deserves and no more. Yes,
this documentary has a viewpoint, and no, it does
not pretend to be objective. This doc is nothing but honest
in where it's coming from. The title tells you the whole story:
The view here is that J.  Edgar Hoover was a feared, corrupt
and damn near evil man. And you know what? Few will argue
against that viewpoint. But the important point here is that
the documentary makes no effort to hide its political views
under a mask of phony objectivity – the inclusion of
controversial activist
and academic Ward Churchill should serve as a red flag that
right wingers won’t like what they see – but it
presents that viewpoint without slathering, frothing propaganda,
without unnecessarily misleading the viewer, and without twisting
the truth to make a point.
In other words, a Michael Moore documentary this isn’t.
 Straightforward, factual and loaded with key archival footage, J. Edgar Hoover And The Great American Inquisitions is sometimes chilling, always informative, and serves as a
stark wakeup call that people in power can and do abuse that
power to erode your freedoms in the name of the “greater
good.”
Can anyone say timely?
Disc
Presentation
Not
impressive. Not bad, but this is clearly a low-budget
affair. Archival footage is the rule, and the talking heads
that are on hand look like they were filmed on the same stock
1980s high school classroom educational programs used. It’s
perfectly watchable, make no mistake, and documentaries aren’t
always a bastion of high-end presentation, but you’re
not going to be altogether impressed with what you see,  either.
Watches fine and sounds fine, though, and for a program like
this, that’s all that matters.
Extras
Nothing to speak of.
The Bottom Line
If you like historical documentaries
on American politics of the 20th Century, I’d be hard-pressed
to steer you away from this one. In fact, I'd urge you to
tune in and take it in. It’s not arty or unusual, but
it is well-crafted and manages to get across its viewpoint
(along with a wealth of information) very well indeed. Recommended
viewing.
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