Best of Enemies

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

Tagline

“Buckley vs. Vidal. 2 Men. 10 Debates. Television Would Never Be the Same.”

Release Status

Released

Genres

Documentary, History

Director

Morgan Neville

Original Language

EN

What is Best of Enemies about?

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

Who directed Best of Enemies?

Best of Enemies was directed by Morgan Neville.

When was Best of Enemies released?

Best of Enemies was released on July 31, 2015.

How long is Best of Enemies?

Best of Enemies has a runtime of 1h 27m.

Where can I track Best of Enemies?

You can track Best of Enemies on Matinee — the free movie and TV show tracker app for iOS & Android. Log it, rate it, and share your thoughts with friends. Best of Enemies is currently streaming on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Dox Amazon Channel in the US.