Line of Events
The life, roles and voice of Henry Fonda’s final interview from 1981 tell a journey through American history from 1651 to the presidential era in the 1980s, embodying the complexity of the nation on a journey from Fonda, NY, to the Pacific. Probably the best film I saw at the 74th Berlinale, certainly the most interesting. It was directed by Alexander Horwath, the former director of the Austrian Film Museum, among others, and his expertise in the history of cinema is palpable in every minute of this essay. However, “Henry Fonda for President” is not limited to film history, but connects the life of Henry Fonda and his films in a sympathetic way with US history from the 16th century to the present. Interview that his first cut was over 6 hours long, but he and his editor and cameraman Michael Palm condensed it very effectively, the film takes its time like every Fonda film, but never gets boring despite its three hour running time.