Absolute Power

Absolute Power was released to American audiences in 1997. The main character of the film is Luther Whitney, who is played by Clint Eastwood. Luther is an accomplished jewel thief who witnesses a murder during one of his heists. This is not an ordinary murder, because it was committed by the Secret Service to protect the President after he attempted to murder one of his lovers. His lover had gotten the upper hand in their tryst when she was killed. Unaware that Luther is hiding in the vault in the room where the murder has taken place, the President’s Chief of Staff and the Secret Service scrubbed the crime scene so clean that there is no evidence left. They all exit the mansion where the murder has taken place except for Luther.

The weapon is a letter opener with not only the victim’s blood and prints on it, but also the President’s. In the Chief of Staff’s haste, she left the opener in the mansion where Luther finds it and takes it home along with all the jewels that he has stolen. That is after a chase with the Secret Service, which continues through out the film. The President never admits an ounce of guilt. In the end, his oldest, best friend, Walter Sullivan, who is also the mourning husband of the victim, kills the President. It is made to look like a suicide, which leaves the nation astounded that the President would commit suicide. Luther had told Walter Sullivan what had really happened the night his young wife was murdered. Mr. Sullivan sought revenge on the President not only for his wife’s murder, but also for his betrayal to him.

The hero of this film is Luther Whitney, even though he is also a criminal. He is the hero, because he confronts the corruption instead of running from it even though he could be killed. He returns the jewels he has stolen and redeems his character in view of a larger corruption then his own petty crime. He is also the hero, because of his intelligence in how he handles the situation. He tells Walter Sullivan the truth, because he knows that he is the one who would be able to bring about the justice that is needed in dealing with the President. After all if it were not for Mr. Sullivan, the President would not be in the White House. He is aware that Mr. Sullivan will confront the situation, but unsure about whether he will extract any revenge.

The villain in this film is the President. The President is not only a corrupt philanderer, but also a murderer. He may not have killed Mrs. Sullivan, but he orders a hit on Luther Whitney’s daughter to be carried out by the Secret Service. His rough sex with his best friend’s wife is the reason she was murdered by the Secret Service also. He apparently lacks the conscience of any morally sound human being as he addresses the nation in his desire to help solve the murder that he has just committed. There is nothing likeable about his character in this film and he is representing the President of the United States.

The Secret Service and the Chief of Staff are the villains along with the President. This film portrays them like they are puppets to the President. The President in the film does appear to have the absolute power until the end of the film, when the civilians take control. He seems to be able to bark a command and his staff is anxious to carry out any of his heinous crimes.

The overt message of this film is that power in the wrong hands corrupts. Mr. Sullivan is rich and powerful, but he is not corrupt. He has arisen to his status in life through hard work and has attempted to help others, but the President is a backstabbing whore who is loyal to no one or any country. The implied message to the American people is that the current President may have some skeletons in his closet. The 1993 death of Vince Foster, Jr. (former White House deputy counsel) in a Virginia park may not have been a suicide. It may have been a cover up by the Secret Service for President Clinton.

Absolute Power was released during the time when President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were both under investigation for the Whitewater Scandal. There is a hotel in the film called, The Watergate Hotel, which represents scandal. Whether it is Watergate or Whitewater, the audience can assume that it is associated with the corrupt manner in which our politicians conduct themselves in today’s society.

The philandering President reminds the viewer of President Clinton also. The 1990s was a decade of numerous women coming forward to claim either sexual harassment or affairs with the President. The Chief of Staff covers up for the President in the film, but in reality it was Clinton’s wife Hillary who covered up his affairs by ignoring them and standing by her politically, morally corrupt husband.

The motion picture and television production company that produced this film is Castle Rock Entertainment. Castle Rock Entertainment is a fairly young company. It was formed in 1987, and then bought by the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in 1993. Due to the fact that Castle Rock Entertainment is a new company, they are more likely to take chances with controversial subject matter, such as confronting some controversial issues with American politics. By being a new company they are just forming their reputation and do not feel the need to live up to one, because they are just creating it. They see it as an instrument to voice their opinions on an important subject to the American public.

Absolute Power clearly reflects the political atmosphere of the White House during its time of release. The fact that there were so many older, reputable actors that starred in it implies that the attitude Hollywood had towards politics at that time was not a favorable one. The petty thief is the hero and the President and his staff are the villains. This makes a statement to the American public that the true villains to watch out for are not the apparent thieves, but the political representatives of this country. The politicians can do much more harm than any petty criminal can do and on a broader scale. The very forces that Americans have appointed for their own security also protect the corruption that exists in the political system.