For better or for worse, Vice President Dick Cheney was the last decade’s most influential American politician. And yet, he remains cloaked in mystery. Cheney’s political brand was dedicated to re-establishing the executive authority, privilege, and secrecy endemic to the pre-Watergate era. In short, we don’t know Dick. This exhaustive treatment of Cheney’s career sheds much-needed light on the so-called “Prince of Darkness” and draws on a treasure trove of archival materials and penetrating commentary from Cheney’s political allies and enemies alike, all of which is anchored by an intimate interview with Cheney in his Wyoming retreat. Covering everything from his early failures in college and his stint in Nixon’s White House to his calculated power grab (and ultimate marginalization) in George W. Bush’s administration, the film offers one of the first comprehensive and even-handed looks at this tumultuous period in American politics, a history that feels recent but is rapidly receding in our rear view.
