‘LBJ’ Blu-Ray Review: Political Discourse At Its Weakest

LBJ, directed by Rob Reiner, is a political drama that was originally released in theaters last year. The film is based on its namesake president, Lyndon B. Johnson, portrayed by Woody Harrelson, who was forced into that position when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

LBJ BLU-RAY REVIEW

Ultimately, LBJ is Johnson’s story, starting with his unsuccessful campaign and him accepting Kennedy’s vice-presidential offer. We also see Johnson’s noncommittal strategy of trying to work between Kennedy’s administration and the Democrats hailing from the southern parts of the country. Kennedy’s Civil Rights Act was the cornerstone of his campaign, a bill he needed to pass, yet his southern Democratic colleagues were unwilling to contribute to the cause.

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The film’s structure during its first half or so presents you with two concurrent stories: it deals with Johnson’s political endeavors while spontaneously inserting scenes from Kennedy’s parade prior to his assassination. Once Kennedy is shot, LBJ tells its story linearly for the remainder of its runtime. While there’s certainly a place for this technique, as the flashbacks could theoretically show how the events in the past influenced the present or offer some kind of juxtaposition, LBJ doesn’t offer such a pay-off. Instead, it gets frustrating to get invested in Johnson’s political discourse and then get ripped into a parade that isn’t relevant yet.

While Harrelson’s performance was strong – and it outperformed every other cast member – it and the script lacked nuance, almost presenting the man, his associates and the governmental procedures they were a part of as one-dimensional. Disappointingly, only the last 20 minutes are spent with President Johnson actively working to gather the votes to pass the Civil Rights Act, and much of it is spent in a montage. If you were hoping for a thorough overview of Johnson’s career, you will not watch one in LBJ. And if you’re looking for bonus features detailing the creation of the movie, you’re going to be disappointed as the Blu-ray doesn’t have any, not even a commentary track.