Governments are all part of a same system so there isn't much difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to sweep the dirt under the rug or the scandals they make or are part of; it all boils down to the same thing with one outdoing the other. There's good and bad on both sides, and even an outsider like me can spot this fundamental aspect of politic that the new boss is same as the old boss...with minor variations. But what confuses us in so many ways is when loyal supporters of a cause or a party are taken down by those very same forces. There might be some obscure reasoning behind it but it's never justified, at least to us outside of the loop who believe in sinister forces, conspiracy and schemes going on behind the corridors of power. The creators of "The Clinton Chronicles" a non-partisan group called Citizens for Honest Government developed this intriguing, gripping and very-well made documentary about one of the most mysterious political deaths of all time in U.S., the suicide-or-murder of White House counsel Vince Foster in 1993. As I said, a group that isn't linked to any political party is simply trying to expose facts, analyze information and let the public see for themselves, and that's the grace of this movie which could only have been made some 20 years ago; if made now it would like an exploitative, unfair, biased and political weapon to use during election campaigns.
This incendiary film takes us back to that strange and little explained 20 July, 1993 when Foster was found dead at a Washington park. What follows that is a pandemonium of absurdly epic proportions: the park police gets in charge of the investigation, which should be covered by the FBI since Vince was a government official, and the result was possibly the sloppiest investigative job ever done since JFK murder, with several errors, inconsistent evidences, lack of basic procedures in collecting evidences and results, and the ultimate call of determining that no foul play could have happened and suicide was the main factor just because a gun was found on Foster hand. And obviously the media jumped on this crazy band wagon because it suited them best to provide a colorful portrait of a happy government that was in its early days. The more serious journalists did their homework and started to analyze this mystery with a closer look, checking photos, the park, medical reports and the many contradictions and strange occurrences in the investigation, later closed and with a final result by the confused Robert Fiske which accepted the suicide, rejecting possible murder theories even though his report included medical doctor who didn't even glanced at the body, filling their resumes as part of the report, among other unbelievable happenings.
While the case isn't reopened, the official story claims that Vince Foster was depressed about his new position in Washington, a place he didn't know and doing things he wasn't fully capable of handling and homesick for leaving his law firm in Arkansas behind. He was a close friend of the Clintons and much speculation surfaced over the years in that he probably knew too much about their dark past which revolves around criminal acts, drug trafficking back when Bill was governor; at the time of Foster's death the Whitewater scandal was rushing at its fullest in the media with more and more controversies and investigations...that didn't mount to much later on. Some change of tune in Clinton's speech about the final days of Vince and their last contacts; his White House office not being properly sealed and with removal of documents under Hillary's orders; it all make room to conjectures and conspiracy theories that seem strong, solid and valid. But what can we proof?
And we wonder why Hollywood hasn't touch this case, which has basis for an amazing and brilliant suspense material. But while we don't get there, this film covers with detail, patience and outstanding results what could possibly have happened to Vince Foster. The missing piece in this documentary is the lack of proper time in exploring more about the theories about a possible assassination scenario. Though the clearly objective list of errors of the investigation, autopsy and others are sustainable facts, to which the film makes a nice presentation in making lists after lists, there was something missing when it was time to focus on the alternatives on why he was target from his Washington buddies. Why he was killed? Who benefited from it? And who had the power to cover up and why such a sloppy cover up? We don't get answers but we get power enough to distrust any possible official version of this case. When the film media does that and with a solid background of evidences, then we are reaching something more than just informing; we are stirring things up. Pity it's a video project, way down the radar of most people back in the 1990's and even now...but all that's collected here should be decisive enough to a new evaluation of this dark matter. 9/10
