Vice: The Essay Film and the Creativity of Adam McKay

Get a full month of MUBI FOR FREE: mubi.com/thetake (With the support of Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union) | Not unlike us, Vice director Adam McKay writes essays -- through the medium of cinema. Watch our take, find out what an "essay film" is and why McKay is one of the most creative filmmakers working today. Support The Take on Patreon: / thetake
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[@thetake]

Get a full month of MUBI FOR FREE: mubi.com/thetake (With the support of Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union) Support The Take on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thetake Subscribe to keep up with our latest videos, and let us know what you want to see next!

[@9393jack]

Screenprism is such an awesome channel.

[@johnmartin4119]

Do an analysis of Lion King Please

[@9393jack]

@@johnmartin4119 I second this request

[@tinymustache6156]

Please do Alita: Battle Angel or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse because they were both amazing movies! Love your videos :)

[@amandakondolojy7546]

The end of Vice with the focus groups was genius.

[@peterc.potswald6292]

“LIBTARD!! I bet you like Hillary!”

[@hunmiliengtipi9218]

The new Fast and furious movie looks lit!

[@sliceoflife11]

I really enjoyed Vice and while I understand it's not all facts, it does paint a convincing portrayal of what happens when someone has unchecked power.

[@eee00000]

I think the worst part is that it is almost all facts.

[@AllfatherBlack]

So what like 2 or 3 things are played for exaggeration? If even ONE of the especially egregious charges is even HALF true, Cheney should be executed by law. So you don't need to couch your opinion like that when it comes to the matter of a person who is actually more evil than this movie could've depicted, because you wouldn't believe it if it had, and also the filmmakers cannot know the true extent of Cheney's evil because he hid it behind administrative precedents. This isn't 2005 anymore. You need have a deeper grasp than "I dont think these are all facts". It's ALMOST ALL facts. You don't need to acknowledge that some few things aren't facts. We know. It's a movie. But it's almost all facts, and you're communicating that backwards.

[@worrywirt]

Seeing Anthony Bourdain made me really sad 😔 I loved him and his series so much. RIP

[@monkeyangelo717]

I might be the only person I know that LOVED Vice. Other than the over the top post-credits scene, I was so engaged and entertained. I’ll have to watch it again to decide if I liked this more than The Big Short or not- He does so many interesting things in Vice in terms of challenging the creative process.

[@gustavogutierrez2709]

Matt Boulter For real. I feel everyone just hated it because they couldn’t get over their political views.

[@anteluka6743]

Hey Matt check out the podcast You Made it Weird with Adam McKay as guest. The host Pete Holmes is a major fan of the film and they completely nerd out about it.

[@ariasscreen4334]

That's what i find so intriguing about video essays. It strings together its own narrative by playing with other's. Another great video! This is the level of video essays I aspire to!

[@joaomarcoscosta4647]

I was more engaged than expected when I watched Vice, especially by the ways in which it played with film convention. More than by its subject matter, in fact. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.

[@akhilpillay4262]

This is honestly one of my favourite movies. Watching the movie again changes perspective and thought processes

[@Martin_e_93]

Great movie. I didn't have an opinion about Cheney before but now I really like him. Thanks Adam McKay.

[@FranY16]

Thinking about showing this video to my 7th grade students.Thanks!

[@wituszynski6534]

i'm about to do some notes, what did you find interesting here? In my point of view, I want to make videos to internet and this material seems to give me much to understand what tools I should use.

[@gustavogutierrez2709]

I can assure you, none of those students are going to care or pay attention to the video. You should move up a few grades.

[@LycoLoco]

I almost wish I were growing up in the modern era of education because of people like you. Be the good in education!

[@LycoLoco]

@@gustavogutierrez2709 Hard disagree. This assumption removes the possibility of choice that it might inspire at a minimum one student, in which case it would have had value. Never let someone else tell you that you can't do something. Instead make them decide they're not going to by challenging them in the first place.

[@gustavogutierrez2709]

Robert Unless she teaches honours students, then sure. But regular students, nah. As much as I loved reading and writing in my middle school and high school days, those classes just felt like a chore.

[@freegadflyathome]

I loved The Big Short and really enjoyed this one. The constant use of the fishing analogy was a little overboard...like if they just would have established that he liked to fly fish and then used it in the Bush scene, that would have been perfect. Definitely think it should have won best editing Oscar. I didn't get the heart thing. Thanks for the great insight as usual.

[@HealthyAndrew]

I love the depth of VICE. I also love that you guys take the time to analyse this

[@diegoromero1224]

I love all the productions that you made... Mantengan siempre esa calidad, chicas/compañeras!

[@robchuk4136]

I didn't love The Big Short, but Vice was okay. It probably should have won for Best Editing because that's what kept me engaged. I mean...Its about Dick f*%$ Chaney. SOMETHING better keep me engaged, lol. Btw, not a lot of people are really rushing to do videos about Vice, so thanks for this. 😊

[@megamoviez]

It definitely deserved Makeup

[@freegadflyathome]

I think it deserved best editing for sure.

[@osmanyousif7849]

Definitely over Bohemian Rhapsody's editing....

[@pcpeasantsgaming]

I have to say the way you described the Movies service is amazing. I mean I get that KZbin channels need to make money from sponsors, but this is an amazing service, and I'm glad you guys are bringing light to it.

[@oof-rr5nf]

This was so good, you guys! I'm proud to be a fan :D

[@TayNixster]

PLEASE do an video series on 1967’s The Graduate! It is such a relevant movie the more time progresses and I would love to hear the squad’s thoughts on its ending an in-depth analysis on characters specifically Mrs. Robinson and Ben and stuff!!

[@neola1712]

I really appreciate your channel!

[@arjunroks1000]

I wasn't a massive fan of The Big Short or Vice, but I appreciate and understand the films more because of this video. Thanks!

[@celiamello4292]

EXCELLENT!!!!!! Thank You for a GREAT work!!

[@LycoLoco]

Wonderfully meta. Loved this one.

[@phil.piasecki93]

Keep up the great work!

[@gregoryhoward3501]

Seriously great video!

[@paulofilhoalvarezdemorais679]

Vice, also know as the underapteciated oscar movie of 2019

[@itsblitz4437]

Although Vice is still government fiction bullshit.

[@robonick3607]

Vice, also known as the Lars Von Trier rip-off.

[@pts5217]

Absolutely. Christian Bale was ROBBED. He transformed in Cheney.

[@pts5217]

@@itsblitz4437 what exactly was fiction and/or bullshit?

[@eriklarson5874]

It was better than Green Book...

[@woodbridgesfinest1904]

Obviously I'm a fan of this format, whether the medium be movie, youtube video or written article. I've seen W. I'll have to give VICE a try.

[@amanjaiswal9389]

Please do an in-depth analysis of Phantom Thread.I would love to get your take on it.

[@mfmage]

The difference is, in a video essay like this, we are meant to know it is your opinion, and take it as such. In Vice, we are given a lot of conjecture as if it were fact, and that skews the audience understanding, especially the average person, who does not put much thought into a movie beyond watching it and remembering parts.

[@vicentekokaly322]

At the beggining of the movie it says that not everything that happens in the movie is based on real events.

[@janglausercomposer]

Mubi is free for Students btw. It's pretty awesome.

[@shunkela]

Spike Lee is a video essayist! (seems to be). He's probably one of the more famous essayists making feature-length popular films of this type. Blackkklansman was so good! :-O

[@GigaChadh976]

They Already did one.

[@corhydron111]

The Take should analyze the art of Contrapoints and her videoessays

[@worrywirt]

That would be awesome... a video essay about video essays

[@oof-rr5nf]

That would be so frickin cool. You should also check out Folding Ideas' video on Smash Cuts in video essays. It also feels very meta. And is also very informative.

[@GingaNinjaTV13]

This was my favorite film of the year. I thought the editing was so good

[@growitheflow]

This is brilliant.

[@azizraza6282]

You girls are amazing

[@ladsvideos]

FINALLY

[@aaronsanders6162]

Loved this movie

[@growitheflow]

Are there any examples of films that combine the docu style of real life like a Michael Moore film, mixed with the fictional styles of essay films like Vice?

[@nyxnes]

I still prefer screenprism over the take :/

[@lukebradley574]

Me too. It’s such an awful title for a great channel

[@PittsburghSonido]

Same

[@somebody2619]

@@PittsburghSonido SAME!

[@PittsburghSonido]

some body hey some body, good to see you away from Sec talk hehe

[@somebody2619]

@@PittsburghSonido To be fair, this is video related to politics so no surprise!

[@emmaclarke2885]

I've really enjoyed all your videos on the Oscar nominated movies :) Will you be doing Green Book? I'm very curious to see what you would talk about, as that movie is quite thin analysis wise and surrounded by a ton of controversy. The Favourite and Black klansman are both much more layered and complex stories. Maybe you could do a video on Green book by talking about the white saviour trope in cinema? Or by looking at the history of the buddy film?

[@aDriveAway]

"Black Klansman" "complex" lmao

[@dimatadore]

If we want to be "a more informed citizen of our world" then Hollywood is not the place to find that.

[@HueyTheDoctor]

Okay ladies, you're absolutely correct about Adam McKay being a very clever man who uses biting wit and genuinely engaging comedy to soften the blow he's simultaneously delivering to your entire moral fibre by slowly revealing the contempt those in power have for the people with no power and thus no recourse. He's one of the most compelling directors around right now. But comparing what Scorcese did with Wolf of Wall Street to what Adam was doing in Big Short and then suggesting Adam's way is the superior path, that's a step too far. Scorcese had his own goal and he accomplished it perfectly, but it wasn't about using comic relief to facilitate hard truths. It was about capturing a feeling, an atmosphere, the zeitgeist of that particular cranny of spacetime. The Big Short literally teaches you something complex in a concise way while making you chuckle and/or giggle. Scorcese let you experience vicariously what it was like to be those people at that time, living those extremes. In order to accomplish their totally distinct goals, the two directors used a smorgasbord of different techniques and comparing them just because the premises are similar does a disservice to both, I think. Just my two cents, but I'm on numerous illicit drugs right now so I'll concede I might be talking out of my ass. Edit: upon reflection, I'm jumping at spectres, your vid doesn't imply McKay is more subtle or nuanced than Scorcese, you were just trying to establish that what he does is what you do only with a massive budget. I can dig that. I think given the same opportunities as McKay, the people who research, write, edit and narrate your essays would make content comparably engaging. Peace out yalllllll.

[@orsonwelles4254]

I'm a fan of Michael Moore films. Especially, Where to Invade Next

[@darrenbelak4853]

When is the Green book analysis

[@dgo792]

I find it really troubling how his style gives him the creative liberties of a fictional retelling of history while at the same time grants him the credibility of a documentary.

[@AllfatherBlack]

I find it troubling that you would ever take any movie, even a documentary, as absolute fact. It's troubling that you thought you were saying something valid here when in fact you're just bitching about nothing new. Movies have existed for over a century now. Anyone who doesn't use judgement when watching them is only proclaiming themselves an idiot. Is that what you're saying? Are you troubled by your own inability to correctly meter a singular source of information? Are you also concerned that poison is poisonous? What other silly stupid things can you point out and exaggerate to make them useless?

[@TheSeanzy772]

Damn, send that man to the burn unit STAT!!

[@MrInsdor]

6:08 you praise citations, but I can't find any to figure out what's the source of all these clips with the actor from HIMYM

[@markenfinger]

Powerful stuff! 🥰😍🥰😍

[@DemiRonin]

Help: What is that scene with Kal Penn talking about government from??? A doc? What's it called...looking for it.

[@MirandaAndUh]

It's called _This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy_ - can be found on Amazon Prime.

[@MannyManhattanMusic]

God bless screenprisin 🙏🏿

[@Soma_Chronicles]

Time not to be productive for the next 14:32 minutes.

[@trinaq]

Likewise, I was doing some work, until the notification showed me how I could spend the next 15 minutes.

[@isaiahdokpa8559]

Lol now I understand the Shakespeare stuff, this is a good analysis 😂😅

[@aryapraagya]

THE GLEANERS AND I IS MY FAVORIUTE DOC OF ALL TIME YAS

[@Sam-xj5ne]

This oddly is similar to the lonely chemists video on Adam McKay

[@duffinthemuffin5792]

Watching VICE confused me, I couldn't tell what it was, I couldn't tell if it was a documentary, or a biopic and I think Essay film is the best term to pin on it but I'd say it transcends even that into something I can't quite define.

[@Muskeljudentum]

Finally a video by The Take that isn’t preachy or ridiculously Woke. Keep up this kind of content

[@biegebythesea6775]

or maybe grow up? what are you, 14? if you're on a platform that isn't specifically targeted at you (i.e. straight white male gaze) and you cannot put yourself in other people's shoes then maybe to to another platform? it's not a 'dumb dude' channel. go find andrew tate if you think having a brain is 'woke'.

[@laurasalado2429]

Can you please please please please do Disney’s Princess and The Frog!!!!

[@hues1975]

Why was there no credit for the Kal Penn show you used multiple times?

[@FALL-LAFF-7477]

The good thing: Essay Film is a fun thing and innovative. Not only an absolute way to grab attention like a different way of a take or something. But also a weapon of choice that will be infamously used in this decade. You can make many ways to create the narrative over this style. The bad: Somehow, not only the ambiguity that the movie genre and the storytelling would made you scratch your head. The way this take about Scorsese to McKay is far-fetch from the reality that the Big Short and Wolf of the Wall Street are 2 very different narrative works - one about the Descension of a Man and another is about the whole Finance Crisis situation. Also, some elements of this style couldn't work if audience aren't enjoying so much about the topics.

[@pdzombie1906]

Adam Mckay is like the magician who revealed how people get tricked by his colleagues on TV, except is not magic is economics and politics, magicians are actually politicians, and people are not getting tricked they're getting f*cked!!! Thanx, girls. Great video as usual!!!

[@internetstrangerstrangerofweb]

I was dumbfounded to realize that the movie made zero mention of cheny’s oversight of Panama and D E S E R T S T O R M. Which are an enormous source of hatred for Iraq and a more militaristic stance on managing threats. It could’ve provided so much insight.

[@jualiet2212]

this movie was so creative and so underrated :(

[@osielescalante2785]

I didn’t necessarily like Vice but you ladies make a good case for it

[@iainronald4217]

I think it's also worth mentioning, more so than any modern film, Vice is a shit-post. When someone asked me to describe Vice while recommending it to them, I said: "It's a satire, an essay film, and a shit-post, rolled up in the facade of an indulgent political biopic." There are tons of decisions from having Jesse Plemons, with his naturally gravely, ready voice narrate it; to the Shakespearean argument, to the fourth wall breaking. It's a shit-post, and I love it for that.

[@jayfolk]

other guy end credits

[@robhousehold]

Just call yourselves screen prism again. I don't recognize when videos are posted under the new name.

[@celinak5062]

5:50 in a what sense ?? 12:47 new speak

[@ramanlawson8083]

in a _Brechtian_ sense

[@GigaChadh976]

Didn’t care for vice. Felt like the director just threw every movie making trick at the screen to see what stuck and was still boring

[@emigrant1510]

While I did like and enjoy The Big Short, I just feel that Vice should have had a different approach to its subject. I feel like a more direct, less comedic, political thriller could have had a bigger impact.

[@steph3114206]

Emi Grant a bigger impact like McKay getting wacked.

[@NileshKumar-nr2vj]

3:42.... As an Indian it got me excited... Screaming hey that's "Pyasa". I would have recommended it but foreigners would not be able to understand the storytelling through beautiful song. Translation is no good for those songs.....

[@danielborza4399]

The thing this movie made me realize is that no country should have as much power as the US does. I'm not American, and we have hundreds of politicians that are way worse in terms of corruption and greed than Cheney, but we're a small country, so at least they can't harm others. This guy and his pals made the Near East into a nightmarish hellscape for the last 20 years, and it's consequences are still far from over. And Cheney is allowed to live his last years in peace without any kind of retribution or at least holding responsible. This is outrageous beyond words. Bush was a fool and an idiot but his guy is as close to evil as human beings can be.

[@isaiahdokpa8559]

That Shakespeare scene sucked haha it was for the snobs

[@Thedarkknight2244]

The motives of the invasion in this film were all conjecture. It skips over the Iraq invasion wayyyy to quickly even though the film builds up to that moment right from the start. And then it has moments of unforgivable levels of pretentiousness; I’m thinking the heart imagery or the Shakespearean dialogue. Then it ends with basically calling the general public stupid.

[@philippinevlogsandgamingpl7671]

wait! Adam McKay and Amazon making a series together? As a fellow dem socialist, he's working with Amazon? And to think he is a member of DSA. And I just learned about this.

[@presidenttogekiss635]

Not gonna lie, the new name isnt as good as the old one.

[@waywardwatchdog1]

Wolf of wall st is what Adam McKay wishes he could make.

[@junkiejackflash]

Not really, no.

[@Noah-po2cr]

Uhh no

[@judewakefield7213]

I imagine most directors want to make films of Martin Scorsese's caliber.

[@Noah-po2cr]

Jude Wakefield yes and no, Martin Scorsese makes movies the way he does, it isn't particularly better than any other style, he's made great movies and not as great movies. Putting him or any other artist on that kind of pedestal is actively harmful to filmmaking

[@judewakefield7213]

@@Noah-po2cr You're absolutely right. It's not possible that I dont already know he has his own style. It's not possible that directors of different styles can have quality differences between each other. And literally every director has good films, as you say. All beings are equal. You win.

[@spencernielsen392]

Vice is like the tethered version of The Big Short. So pissy, pompous, and up its own ass, it’s a wonder it was made by the same creative forces.

[@HBarnill]

His last good movie was The Other Guys.

[@amsheel9921]

He's a peakcock! You gotta let him fly!

[@roscojenkins7451]

Freakin love that movie

[@vakeone]

Recruiting a bunch of celebrities to explain some financial topic isn't ingenius. Putting Margot Robbie in a bathtub to explain something about subprime mortgages is actually quite lowbrow.

[@TheSchnorkey]

I’m not sure anyone could be taken seriously by attempting to defend Dick Cheney.

[@GigaChadh976]

He didn’t.

[@TheSchnorkey]

I meant generally, just as the video referred to one’s opinion about DC generally. I’m only saying that someone would have to be insane or stupid to defend what Dick Chaney.

[@chrisbedwards]

This movie pissed me off. It went way overboard with the irony and self references. That sort of thing worked with The Big Short because of the era and subject matter, but with VICE it came across as self satisfied and condescending.

[@MirandaAndUh]

If you felt condescended upon by a movie, something you can walk away from at any point, then you should perhaps consider that the movie was speaking directly to you for a reason, and question why it had that effect on you in the first place.

[@chrisbedwards]

@@MirandaAndUh Fair Game, Shock and Awe, W - these are all movies that dealt with mid-late 2000s politics that didn't take such an obnoxious tone. So many scenes in VICE are comically ahistorical, especially with regard to Rice, Rumsfeld, and Bush Jr, yet it goes out of its way to say "if you think this movie is biased, then fuck you". The movie was speaking "directly to me" only in the sense that I've studied the people in question.

[@jjcooks7401]

Please do a Green Book analysis without mentioning the fake controversies.

[@petebondurant58]

Vice...if MSNBC had produced a movie.

[@brettcole84]

*insert shameless plug

[@megamoviez]

Hey don't diss on Wolf of Wall Street. That movie is fantastic and Scorcese is a far better filmmaker.

[@TheHeston83]

I disagree The Wolf Of Wall Street is one of the worst films ever

[@sliceoflife11]

Saying fuck all the time does not equate a good movie

[@stevenvo1999]

They’re not dissing Wolf of Wall Street. They were just comparing and observing the differences.

[@aDriveAway]

@@sliceoflife11 no one said it did. WOWS >>>>> Any Adam Mckay movie.

[@HueyTheDoctor]

Apples and oranges. I mean, you can compare fruit, but claiming one is objectively better than the other is a meaningless statement. Preference is entirely subjective. Value lies in the eye of the beholder and all that jazz.

[@dasaunmcclinton68]

It’s not just my business if I disagree with McKay’s arguments or not when his films are riddled with falsehoods and partisan hackery. Misinformation is dangerous and destructive and it should be called out with vigor whether it’s Dinesh D’Souza, Adam McKay, or Michael Moore.

[@aramisaac4292]

Even though I recognize it is a good movie, I didn't like The Big Short. It is just Adam McKay's style that doesn't work for me. However, I don't think Vice is a good movie. I still admire that Adam McKay takes risks, which is good, but this movie is just messy and boring. The editing was really confusing, and the characters were empty, except for Dick Cheney. The movie tries to show what kind of bad person he was, and it is all so in your face...That is one of my critiques on The Big Short, but in this movie it seems even more thrown into your throat. There were some entertaining moments, but the tone was inconsistent, the script was a mess, the directing was nothing special and the soundtrack sucked. I think this movie is worse than Bohemian Rhapsody and the worst Best Picture nominee of this year.

[@MirandaAndUh]

There's no way this is worse than Bohemian Rhapsody, which had nothing to say, no creative style, obscured Freddie Mercury's life story, and was edited like an episode of Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job. It was pretty abysmal in terms of what should have been done as a Freddie Mercury biopic. Vice actually as a cohesive passion behind it and modern cultural relevance.

[@semiauto25]

This film was straight up propaganda.

[@aolson1111]

Nope

[@MrAudriem]

trump 2020

[@sainileshranganathan5942]

Vice was extremely sloppy. Please. Big short was really interesting with a good screenplay but vice felt more disconnected and rushed!

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

This is not your take. This is another one of many shades of color filtered through the prism of a screen.

[@Brabant07]

Vice was not a good movie

[@folarinosibodu]

This video could have been 5-10mins long. Good video but you ladies stretched it way too long.

[@andressegui1236]

Alternative title of Vice: “let’s vilify the Republican Party as if they were evil demons”

[@kevlow9494]

When neo nazis and Charlottesville attackers affiliate themselves with that party, that party will never be painted as good.

[@freegadflyathome]

He uses Dick Cheney as an example (because he is a dipicable human) and people he associated himself with as a story, but I see it as focusing on politics in general. The movie does exclude Carter from this because he deserved to be.

[@Noah-po2cr]

You realize Cheney is a war criminal, right?

[@feleepe92]

it's vilifying neocons who are truth be told a scourge on this planet

[@GigaChadh976]

Kev Low Does that go for the Democratic Party which fought for the confederacy and created the sky Klux Klan?

[@horatiotodd8723]

Too bad don’t look up is meh

[@LeozinhowCM]

Vice is a very problematic movie just like this video. You spend too much time explaining what an essay is and it quickly gets boring.

[@HavanaOutpost]

Movie sucked.

[@Wetcamerainc]

Too pretentious. Like quentin tarantino

[@sudevsen]

Vice is what you get when a man who used to make smart dumb movies thinks he can make a legit smart movie but ended up making a dumb smart movie. It's a movie by vvery condescending person who thinks that the average Joe can I ly understand things if it's presented via a SNL skit. He's the /r/iamverysmart of filmmakers and should stick to making funny consider and keep the grownup topics for more nuanced and wise filmmakers like Scorsese.

[@aolson1111]

Wow, you're really salty about that Scorsese shot.

[@LordJagd]

Can anyone identify the film at 3:45 with the asian man and woman?