Path to War

"What do you want me to do, kill everyone's grandmother in that place?"

Lyndon Johnson remains one of America's most controversial, complex Presidents: a Southern liberal committed to Civil Rights, a reformer responsible for the Great Society, a Cold Warrior destroyed by Vietnam. HBO's Path to War (2002) shows Johnson's mismanagement of Vietnam in an unusually sympathetic light.
Lyndon Johnson (Michael Gambon) wins a landslide reelection in 1964, then cements his Great Society by passing the Voting Rights Act and creating Medicare and Medicaid. But Johnson can't resolve the Vietnam War. Pressured by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara (Alec Baldwin) and military leaders, Johnson expands American commitment to Vietnam, approving heavier bombings and committing troops. But the war drags on, splitting Johnson's staff (and the American public) and eroding the President's resolve.
Long but engrossing, Path to War does an excellent job framing Johnson as an effective President treating Vietnam as a domestic problem. Director John Frankenheimer emphasizes Johnson's leadership, whether strong-arming Congressmen or browbeating George Wallace (Gary Sinise). He's a tough, glad-handing politico who can pass bills with charm, threats or dirty jokes. Unfortunately, Ho Chi Minh isn't susceptible to arm-twisting.
Johnson's hands-on management proves wrong for military operations, personally selecting targets and overruling advisors. Generals Westmoreland (Tom Skeritt) and Wheeler (Frederic Forrest) encourage expanded bombing, which only strengthens the Vietcong. McNamara is amazed that computerized body counts and target lists don't yield victory. Warnings from skeptics Clark Clifford (Donald Sutherland) and George Ball (Bruce McGill) go unheeded.
Johnson's popularity erodes as casualties mount and protestors descend on the Pentagon. McNamara's shaken when a Quaker immolates himself outside his office. Johnson's advisors bicker while the President rages about North Vietnamese invulnerability. After the Tet Offensive, he's presented with an unanswerable dilemma: the Army demands reinforcements, staffers desert him, and antiwar Democrats Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy challenge his reelection.
Path to War enhances Johnson's sympathy by downplaying the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, where he obtained Congressional sanction after a dubious incident. It also paints military leaders as borderline villains, demanding more troops against Johnson's reluctance. Nonetheless, Frankenheimer avoids a whitewash: Johnson hides military budgets, rages against disloyal staffers and treats defeats as victories. Johnson leads America and Vietnam towards tragedy, destroying his domestic achievements and dividing the country.
Michael Gambon's multilayered performance deserves kudos. Alternately boorish and blunt, charming or insightful, Gambon shows Johnson painfully aware of his predicament, but unable to resolve it. He's matched by Alec Baldwin, whose steely reserve slowly crumbles before reality. Donald Sutherland plays a cool elder statesman, trapped in a tragedy of his own. He warns repeatedly of impending disaster, then becomes Johnson's most loyal supporter.
Path also benefits from a deep supporting cast. Tom Skeritt and Frederic Forrest play military brass. Bruce McGill shines as George Ball, the most vocal skeptic; James Frain is speechwriter Dick Goodwin; Phillip Baker Hall plays Republican Senator Everett Dirksen. Gary Sinise reprises his role from Frankenheimer's George Wallace (1997). Only Felicity Huffman seems miscast as Lady Bird Johnson.
Forty years on, Vietnam remains a painful issue for Americans. Path to War's sympathetic treatment of Johnson won't please everyone, but its lessons are valuable. Even a well-meaning President can wreak havoc; hands-on management doesn't translate to military leadership. Sadly, Johnson's successor proved that detached, callous cynicism wasn't any better.