In Tom Hanks’s iconic turn in Forrest Gump (1994), he appears, mostly inadvertently, at numerous historic occasions in the ’60s and ’70s. One of these (fictional) moments is when, after being felicitated by Richard Nixon for Gump’s involvement in ping-pong diplomacy, he uncovers the Watergate break-in.
The joy of watching a film like Forrest Gump is revelling in a make-believe world where Gump’s character—the bumpkin with a heart of gold—alters the course of history. The peril of observing the real world is realising that such characters do exist, but only to chart a disruptive course in history.
Get Me Roger Stone, a documentary written and directed by Dylan Bank, Daniel DiMauro and Morgan Pehme, showcases the latter kind—a political strategist who has been variously called a “dirty trickster”, “a state-of-the-art sleazeball” and “an actor who likes to assume poses”.
More importantly, for those who have followed Roger Stone’s career, he is the man behind (to count just a few) the election of Trump and Reagan; the sabotaging of Al Gore’s hopes at the stalled recount in Florida and the fall from grace of Eliot Spitzer, who was implicated in a sex scandal, reportedly on a tip-off from Stone. A heady, and entirely appropriate, résumé for someone whose political career began by being implicated minorly in the Watergate Scandal at the ripe age of 19.
Strategist, advisor
Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and recently released on Netflix, the documentary has Stone calling himself an agent provocateur . In reality, he is a political strategist who revels in innuendo, misinformation, and negative campaigning—an art he has perfected over the years as an advisor to almost every Republican candidate (and president) since Reagan.
The documentary, however, is keen to stress that his biggest project was Donald Trump whom he advised to run for President way back in 1987. In that sense, the Trump presidency is not an accident. Stone has desired it for the last 30 years because of his belief in Trump’s outstanding suitability as a candidate.
One cannot help but admire, even while feeling utterly repulsed, the endless stream of catchy one-liners—known as his “rules”—that Stone spews at will: “it is better to be infamous than never be famous at all”; “attack, attack, attack, never defend”; “admit nothing, deny everything, launch counterattack”. These puerile rules would make for great armchair fodder, except for a small detail. Stone lives by them, implements them and ensures that his wards execute his vision, by hook or crook. If the rules above remind you of the conduct of a certain American president, it is no coincidence. After all, Stone has steadily nudged Trump towards the highest seat of power in the modern world for decades.
The most horrible—and accurate—Stone rule arrives towards the end of the documentary. “Hate is a bigger motivator than love,” he says. “I tend to believe the worst of people because I understand human nature.” The pithy aphorism has echoed across centuries, through the minds of philosophers and in the eyes of common folk who have borne witness to its truth.
Heard in Stone’s tongue though, the line becomes sinister, almost prophetic. To him, the truth inherent in hate as a motivator isn’t something to be wary of. It is a truth to be embraced, and to be employed mercilessly in the service of power.
Guns and T-shirts
Two striking images from the documentary come to mind. In one, Stone is at home, showing off Nixon memorabilia—reportedly the largest private collection that exists. (Stone also has a tattoo of Nixon’s face on his back.) He appears at ease, and one can sense his genuine admiration for the disgraced president. Then, all of a sudden, his T-shirt comes into view. It says: ‘Hillary for Prison 2016’.
The second image that lingers is from a rally in Cleveland, Ohio. Stone speaks in support of Trump during the presidential campaign. As the camera zooms out, it lingers, barely for a moment, on the pocket of a white man in the audience. As he cheers for Stone, the gun jutting out from his pocket jiggles.
Get Me Roger Stone is excruciatingly difficult to watch without throwing up one’s hands in despair, and one’s food in sheer disgust. The disavowal of morality and ethics should give pause to those who are overly trustful of a moral, and inherently good, world. The documentary is doubly difficult to watch at a time when hate and misinformation are colouring our country saffron. Whenever, for instance, headlines bemoan the latest crimes committed by cow vigilantes, and abusive right-wing trolls online jump to their defence, Stone probably gets a small royalty for showing the world a template of hate.
The writer is photographer and founder of The Indiestani Project, a poetography collaboration.
