by MARK SLUTSKY

One of the weirdest and most unsettling events in American political history - okay, in political history - okay, in history - was the 2003 recall of California Governor Gray Davis and subsequent election of Austrian-born action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a race made for that peculiar state, a land of make-believe where Hollywood liberals exist alongside diehard Orange County Republicans, where Schwarzenegger's opponents included columnist Arianna Huffington, actor Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey. Five of the candidates, Coleman included, appeared nightly on a Comedy Central game show called Who Wants to be Governor of California?

But behind the circus and the ha-ha-hilarity of the race was something not so funny: a concerted effort by Republicans, largely led by California Congressman Darrell Issa, who bankrolled the recall, to unseat a democratically elected Democrat governor. And by controlling the spotlight in much the same way as President Bush and his team have mastered, it worked.

This is the setting for British director Alex Cooke's documentary How Arnold Won the West. Her film follows the Schwarzenegger campaign through the various ups and downs of the recall - the sexual harassment allegations, the uncovering of an old interview where Schwarzenegger claimed to have admired Hitler, and most importantly, the campaign's total manipulation of the press and public. Surrounded by seasoned Republican advisors, Arnie takes the Bush tack: always attack, never defend. Stay on message. And, unlike Bush, the guy is a genuine movie star with built-in recognition and catchphrases: Total Recall! The Terminator!

Cooke does a good job of covering the campaign from a position of curiosity and outrage (she's never shy about expressing her feelings). Many scenes in the movie are fixed shots of campaign speeches or interviews, and that unedited quality is refreshing. But she's only telling part of the story - an uninformed viewer would really have no idea of the widespread antipathy for Gray Davis, how much he was disliked and why. The energy crisis, so crucial to the whole mess, is really mentioned only in passing. Still, it's a fascinating and enraging look at the insanity of the American political process.

How Arnold Won the West opens at
Cinéma du Parc on Friday, July 1

>> Movie Listings