Was on More4 on Monday night. Anyone watch? First question, why was Charlie Whelan playing Alistair Campbell?
― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 10 January 2006 01:33 (twenty years ago)
I thought it was great. The likenesses of the reconstruction actors were a bit off, though - Robin Cook especially: the guy wasn't even ginger. Did the gist of the dialogue come straight from Alistair Campbell's book or was it 'supplied' by John Kampfner and the other two:
From Monday's Independent:
Why We Went to War. Tonight, 9PM, MORE4
As the second plane slams into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, the Prime Minister is watching the terrible drama unfold. It is the defining point of his premiership. Beside him is his most trusted adviser, Alastair Campbell, and as smoke and flames start to engulf the south tower, it is the adviser, not the politician, who springs into life first. "Fuck ... I don't think there's any doubt now - clear the lines to America," he screams.
This is the opening scene from the former World In Action editor Stuart Prebble's depiction of 11 September and in this carefully researched drama, the Campbell figure is portrayed as an altogether more complex character than the pantomime villain of popular political mythology.
Campbell dismisses US President George Bush's infamous State of the Union assertion the following year that Iraq, along with Iran and North Korea form an "axis of evil". It is "bollocks", he tells his boss. " We will never be able to endorse that." As Blair embarks on the damaging road to war in Iraq, it is Campbell who is the cautioning voice. During the central London peace march, Campbell advises Blair that his position is getting "bloody dangerous". "There are a million people on the streets protesting. That means, what, there are 20 million people against you?" As Blair starts to lose the support of his cabinet colleagues Robin Cook and a lachrymose Clare Short, Campbell warns: " There's hardly anyone left who believes you are doing the right thing. You are not winning any of the arguments in the right places."
Truth or spin? With a high-powered team of leading journalists on the production team, this offers a more complex version of events than usual. Campbell questions Blair's judgement at critical moments as the Prime Minister offers unconditional support for President Bush.
Machiavelli rating: 2
http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article337430.ece
― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 10 January 2006 03:11 (twenty years ago)
I actually ended up feeling slightly sorry for Blair, I think the piece was edited to make it seem like Bush really did shaft him.
― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 10 January 2006 14:38 (twenty years ago)