Anthony's Film Review - Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump (2020)

A straightforward yet riveting documentary about the dangerous 45th President of the United States...

The months leading up to the 2016 United States presidential election were undeniably bitter and divided. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton ran a campaign that brought forth her credentials and experience as U.S. First Lady alongside Bill Clinton, U.S. Senator from New York, and U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama. On the Republican side, Donald Trump ran a campaign based on his career as a businessman and real estate mogul, defiance of conventions and norms, and rhetoric that was seen as daringly bold or rudely insensitive depending on one's political stance. The strongest critics of Trump would express either disgust about his juvenile behavior or fear about the damage he might cause if elected president. The latter included a coalition of mental health professionals whose psychological evaluation of Trump deemed him to be unsuited for the highest office. They even published a book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, expressing their concerns in an effort to warn people about Donald Trump before Election Day.

Four years later, that same group, calling itself Duty to Warn, developed the documentary film Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump. It essentially serves the same purpose as The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, of providing a psychological analysis of Trump and informing people about the risk of reelecting him in the 2020 election. That's not to say the film is a carbon copy of the book. In fact, there are some notable differences. The obvious one is timing, because the book was a pre-presidency warning based on Trump's past history, whereas the film is a pre-reelection warning based on three-and-a-half years of the Trump administration. Also, the film doesn't just go into depth related to psychology. It also presents a nice variety of perspectives from experts of different professions.

Before I elaborate, let me first talk about the style of this documentary. I would describe it as a down-to-earth documentary with a fairly simple way of presenting information. This isn't one of those Michael Moore-like documentaries where the filmmaker is in front of the camera just like the subjects and interviewees. There is also no voiceover narrator taking us along the narrative. Instead, the film presents video clips, illustrative graphics, and interviews and just lets them all speak for themselves. It still works well because of the fascinating stuff we're seeing. Also, all of it is arranged in a logical fashion so that the audience experiences smooth transitions from one topic to the next and follows a path from start to finish that covers plenty of ground.

Overall, the film's interviews feature plenty of people, with 14 contributors listed in the end credits. There are mental health professionals sharing their psychological insights and deep personal concerns about Donald Trump. There are also notable figures in the political realm. In fact, this film makes the wise move of showcasing Republicans who have backtracked support of Donald Trump, or otherwise continue to uphold American traditions such as devotion to the United States Constitution. It sends a stronger message than if the film had interviewed mainly Democrats whose anti-Trump stance is clear from the start. Then there are interviews with political historians, a research psychologist, and even a sports writer who has detailed knowledge about Trump's penchant for cheating at golf.

The film does a nice job presenting these interviews in conjunction with video footage and graphics in such a way that there is mental and emotional stimulation for the audience. We get to understand the dire threat of President Trump's control over nuclear weapons, according to intelligence expert Malcolm Nance. We can appreciate the parallels between the Trump administration and the authoritarian rule of Mussolini and Hitler. We sense the regret and sorrow of George Conway, the husband of Trump advisor and supporter Kellyanne Conway, as he, in a tearful moment, realizes that Trump is a racist. And in another memorable segment, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci lays out his personal experience and that of others, to illustrate the economic hardships and the decline of trust in political leadership that put many individuals in a position to easily support Donald Trump once he entered the picture and presented himself as a fighter for the people. It's not meant to express support of Trump as much as to explain that phenomenon in detail.

For me, watching this film was enjoyable as both a cerebral look at Donald Trump and an emotional trip reminding us of what we went through since Trump's inauguration. I liked how the order of topics presented was not something I could easily predict, but still felt like a natural flowing progression. And I felt plenty of emotions along the way: concern about the president's state of mind, sorrow for the people whose dire situations led them to vote for Trump, fear about the looming threat of authoritarianism in the United States, and hope that American democracy could still survive after the 2020 election. Even within a running time of 84 minutes, the film powerfully sums up Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, from his inauguration to the arrival of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. While it pains me to say that The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump in 2016 may not have prevented his election, who knows if Duty: The Psychology of Donald Trump could lead to a different outcome for the 2020 election?

According to the official Facebook and Twitter pages for Duty to Warn, this film was slated for general release on major streaming platforms such as Amazon and Netflix starting September 1, 2020, but made available for limited early streaming on Vimeo during the three-day 4th of July weekend. On July 3, 2020, I paid the $6 fee to rent the movie and watch it. Having read The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump in 2016 and being intrigued by its dire warnings, I was not disappointed by what this film had to offer. It is an eye-opening heartfelt documentary that should leave you concerned like many American citizens. Hopefully, it could also convince skeptics about why the 45th U.S. president is a national security threat. With that, I shall now conclude this review by echoing Duty to Warn's message about the film. If you care deeply about the security and values of the United States of America, Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump is no doubt a riveting documentary film that you must see.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of Untruth: The War for Democracy.