The constant barrage of information on Trump [election]
campaign and his administration’s relationship with various shady yet powerful
Russian nationals could have been attributed to the vivid imagination of an
American espionage novelist, if not for the mountain of damning evidence
hinting at deeper, darker truths behind the generally obfuscating reactions of Vladimir
Putin and Donald Trump. In many ways, the alleged Trump campaign collusion with
Kremlin and Russian election meddling were as incendiary as the Watergate
Scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon. There might not be proof
beyond a reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy on the collusion-interference
case (yet), although the Special Counsel investigation of Robert Mueller has
ignited flow of revelations whose implications are far scarier and deeply
contentious in the history of American politics. Jack Bryan’s documentary
Active Measures (2018) is the latest of chilling inquiry into American
President’s indisputable connection to Russia; one that would actively inspire
outrage and doubtfulness.
Having keenly followed (following) the developments on
Capitol Hill and Mueller’s investigation I must say that Jack Bryan’s crash
course on the greatest 21st century espionage story, beginning from
Putin’s rise to political power and sustenance of that power, by relying on an
inner circle of kleptocratic oligarchs, gangsters, money-laundering bankers, and
unscrupulous political advisers, doesn’t offer anything shockingly fresh.
Active Measures does a good job in weaving disparate threads of the
Trump-Russian/Putin story that could well serve as a recap on the startling
developments (so far). Just before starting Bryan’s documentary, I had finished
reading Michael Isikoff and David Corn’s ‘Russian Roulette: The
Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump’, a
sober and meticulous look at the nefarious Russian interference ploy. Metaphorically
speaking, even as the ink on the investigative journalists’ report dries, the
story has taken more twists and turns. But, what’s missing in Active Measures
is the earnest, journalistic approach pursued by Isikoff and Corn. The documentary is
heavily persuasive, and the assembled information is delivered in a delirious
manner as the pulsating electronic music and assortment of high-profile talking
heads displays a kind of urgency (much like social-media-fake-news) to
instantly reach great number of the unsuspecting populace.
This whirlwind of devastating geopolitical maneuver by Putin and Kremlin is presented by Bryan through a team of notable
figures, including Hillary Clinton, the late John McCain, and John Podesta. The
title comes from what the intelligence community calls as key tactics from
Russia to exert influence around the world (through propaganda, cyber-attacks, and centralized Russian power) despite the decline of its military
and economic power. Director Bryan chronicles Putin's
dirty work, starting from his ruthless treatment of former Soviet countries
like Georgia, Ukraine and Estonia. He had unleashed Russian hackers, military
and thugs to overturn democratic elections in the smaller nations, something the documentary (and various other news sources) attests as sort of experimental study before attacking the American elections. The
narrative also strongly stresses on Putin’s dirty money, laundered by mobsters and
oligarchs through real estate, particularly by buying the kind of overpriced
condos Trump offers through his 30-plus towers around the world. Menacing mug shots of mobsters like Semion
Mogilevich and Dmitry Rybolovlev, and oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska & Aras
Agalarov are repeatedly displayed while extensively suggesting their operations to launder millions through
untraceable shell companies. American-born British financier Bill Browder – the
man behind Magnitsky Act which rattled Putin (strangely Magnitsky isn’t
mentioned in the doc) – has already detailed how Putin how could very well be
the richest man on the planet.
What’s more alarming was Trump’s alliance with seedy figures
like Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and Michael Cohen. Their dastardly schemes
are damning in itself, especially Flynn’s ironical and hypocritical ‘Lock her
Up’ chant during the election campaign, while he was deeply involved in
duplicitous plans. Nevertheless, the frustrating thing about Jack Bryan’s
approach is the choice to present host of documented facts alongside hearsay and
overly familiar tidbits. In Isikoff’s book, Putin’s alleged origin story (as
said to be) uttered by himself to Hillary Clinton is just a simple event used to
glimpse at the man’s myth-making skills. But director Jack Bryan brings HRC to
reiterate the story using old pics of Nazi menace (Clinton in one of her
digressions about Putin calls him as the guy who likes ‘to manspread’). The
strangely funny tidbit here becomes a foreshadowing element for Putin’s agents of
influence. Nuance seems to be a farfetched word in the whole documentary. There’s a
former Miss Hungary telling how Trump once invited her to his hotel room. It’s
a big question what the film gains by reiterating the very familiar faulty nature
of Trump with regard to his connection with Putin. Hence at certain point, the
loud declamations by the interviewees become more propagandistic in nature. In
fact, Bryan’s presentation of the outlandish claims mixed with true facts is
too flashy that there is not much difference between his style and news
agencies like RT and Sputnik (the propaganda outlets of Kremlin). Overall,
Active Measures (110 minutes) lays out the dreadful issues afflicting current
American political arena, albeit in a lopsided (conspicuous) manner that could
be cherished more by those with little or no knowledge of possible Trump-Russia Collusion (and of course ardent supporters of Trump may still
find it hard to digest the facts).
Trailer
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