A week after I saw the film Street Fight directed by Marshall Curry I still sit here astonished that incumbent Sharpe James won the election against Cory Booker. This movie certainrly spoke to the power of the political machine, and brought to reality the tactics of intimidation that seem unreal unless they are seen. Through the examination of both political campaigns, the construction of a city government and its weaknesses are brought to the forefront.

Booker seemed extremely committed to reaching out to the community and being present in order to experience in the issues and understand how to remedy them. I think that it was interesting to see the  things that fear of losing led Sharpe James to do. He spent a lot of time on camera telling blatant lies. After seeing this film I wondered how widespread this issue is among the city governments in the United States. Marshall Curry mentioned that he received a lot of letters saying that people all around the world claim to have experienced very similar stories surrounding their local governments.

In documenting this long, suspenseful race, Curry captured a story that was suspenseful, and exposed the staying power of the political machine.