Entertainment
Biopics of political figures will tend to be polarizing by their nature, a factor not only of the leanings of the filmmakers but the audience as well. In eschewing left-wing Hollywood’s typical depiction of Ronald Reagan as an aloof warmonger, Reagan’s more-positive portrayal of the 40th president of the United States as a hero of his time will obviously draw more appreciation from Republican viewers, with Democrats more likely to dismiss the film as sentimental hagiography.
Based on the book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, the film is structured as a flashback from the point of view of a former Soviet KGB analyst (Jon Voight) who has been keenly following Reagan’s anti-communist actions for decades. Reagan’s life is thus framed as that of a man influenced by his Christian values to fight for freedom and prosperity for his fellow Americans.
The film exists mostly as a series of dramatic re-creations of several well-known moments from Reagan’s political career. After touching upon Reagan’s childhood and teenage years spent as a lifeguard and radio announcer, the film delves into his days in Hollywood when he was president of the Screen Actors Guild trying to hold off communist infiltration of the union. From there, Reagan sets his sights on political office, first as governor of California, and eventually the presidency, all with an eye on eventually bringing down the Soviet Union and its communist ideology.
