'Best Of Enemies' Director On New William F. Buckley & Gore Vidal Documentary

[@elliottobelliotnwaobi4779]

I didnt know this guy had a stutter. Great documentary though. Watched it on the plane

[@BarbaraJoanneBJ]

If Buckley was bothered by his name-calling, that speaks well of him. Calling someone a "queer" was terrible. But what about Vidal? He, after all, started it - which does matter - and called Buckley a "crypto Nazi". Surely calling someone a Nazi is itself deeply insulting. And to have thrown the first verbal punch, and also evidencing no remorse for it, puts Mr Vidal in the worse position. It troubles me that here, and in the good but Left-slanted documentary, the person being condemned for the incident is Buckley, while Vidal slides through history with no stain after calling a decent man a Nazi.

[@lapc714]

+BarbaraJoanneBJ Though I agree the documentary depicts Buckley to have been hit with the bigger burden. It's important to remember it also sheds light on Vidal mudslinging Buckley's persona to the public and in effect being prosecuted for it. Specifically in the radio interview, the caller shares the same feeling you do in terms of not respecting Vidal as a man. Not to mention the weight of Buckley's words to that of Vidal's. It highlights Buckley to have been familiar with being accused of Nazi related beliefs but television wasn't prepared for the word 'queer'. I find both men to me extraordinary after watching the documentary and reading about them was fun.

[@roughhabit9085]

It was water off a ducks back to Vidal’s credit. Now if he wasn’t worried about it then nobody else should be . Buckley I think was certainly embarrassed and annoyed that he lost his cool but to suggest it would have been a lifelong regret! Omg what imbecile could think that?

[@TheStockwell]

What imbecile could think that? The documentary makes it clear how, decades after the fact, both Buckley and Vidal were still nursing grudges and regrets over the outcome of those ten debates.

[@finallythere100]

Best of Enemies, Gore Vidal doea NOT fare well. I didn't think be did, but... That also coming from a young man who was an ardent liberal at rbe time of viewing it.

[@oldschoolcockneylover8138]

I don’t think Vidal won with that. Queer meant weirdo back then and Vidal started the ad Hominem with Crypto Nazi.