Edward Norton Discusses His HBO Obama Documentary On Countdown (VIDEO)

Edward Norton appeared on MSNBC's Countdown tonight to discuss the new documentary he produced about Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency. The film, airing on HBO, is titled "By The People: The Election of Barack Obama," and it began months before the actual campaign.

Norton said he originally envisioned the project as "a kind of long-term political diary... We were interested in looking at politics through the eyes of a new, young senator." The approach they took was that of an archivist trying to capture a moment in history:

We had what we called an operating set of principles. We were very committed to a non-partisan, archivist approach. We weren't trying to make a film celebrating Obama or his campaign or staff. We wanted to record what were the emotional experiences, what was the ethos, what did it feel like to be inside the people who were actually making that piece of history. We tried to draw them out on the emotional experiences they were having, not just the clinical strategy of it all.

Axelrod was not aware of the project until Obama really swung his presidential campaign into gear, and the filmmakers had to convince him to let them continue the project. "It took us awhile to convince him that we were not the media, we were not the short news-cycle press that was looking to exploit what we were getting," Norton said. "That we were in it for the long haul, and trying to make a document of how this took place for the long view."

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Comments

[DaizeRK14]

Can't wait to see this. Forget tailgating for my Vikings vs Packers game this is definitely more deserving.­.........b­ut don't get me wrong still tailgating the football too. :P

[Bitsko]

Being that it's on HBO, you'll probably get a million chances to catch it in repeats in the first week alone.

[US American]

tsk, tsk

the first rule of documentary club is that you do not talk about documentary club

[meeks]

LOL. Cute

[kingbuzz]

ed norton is a bada$$.

[ebroadcast]

one of the the best actors out there. Period.

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

I literally can't stand him. One of the few that is true for me. I hate his voice and his "style" and the way he looks. And he's just a notch above Keanu in the talent department.

[mrtutto]

Dear Mr. President,

Why is it that every report I read says that you are against the Public Option unless it is a trigger ? This health care bill is going to have a Public Option, maybe not as strong as your voters wanted ( you know those people that you made a promise to.) You have a choice, you can either be on the right side of History or people will say that this Health Care Reform passed without you. Your choice

[cheforacle]

Obama put the PO on the table. Have you ever heard him or his press secretary express anything other than support for the public option?

[beherenow54]

Their verbiage and intonation have changed concerning it. You don't have to come out and say you're no longer going with it. All you have to do is change how you speak about it. From "we need a strong public option" to "it's just one of several reforms intended." Then have Rahm talk about a trigger and don't say anything against it.

[wideawakenow]

Can't wait to see this film!! They need to air it the day BEFORE the election, however, so people get FIRED UP again to go vote.

[roberto8ag]

"...so people get FIRED UP again to go vote."


I would prefer people realize that voting is unethical. It seems that the act of voting is always charged with emotional frenzy than conscious reason.

[wideawakenow]

You may be right that for a certain segment of the population, who vote only because they are emotional about a certain single issue, they are voting solely due to their emotion about that issue but that hardly makes it unethical. How is that immoral, dishonorable and other def. of unethical? You and I might prefer our fellow citizens to vote with measured reason, but the reality is that our country is made up of all types of people and it is the great test of a society to progress to a state of what is best for the society as a whole. What would you suggest other than voting? Mob rule?

[JohnnyChristmas]

I'm just glad to see Ed broke away and made it on his own without that Ralph Kramden!
He was bad news.

[liberalNmoderation]

Yeah...he was a wee bit abusive wasn't he?

[JohnnyChristmas]

Always threatening to whup on his wife.

[CigarGod]

I look forward to the film.
Norton is certainly able to articulate his vision well.

[Lee Andrew]

I cannot seem to post my thoughts... they seem to land in moderator purgatory.

[Lee Andrew]

Is this thread under lockdown?

[Lee Andrew]

I hope that this shows the campaign offices that were destroyed with racist graffiti etc. The reason I hope this is because that element was hidden by the campaign purposely which was a great strategy. Now I think with all this cloaked racism from the FRIGHTWINGERS it could be effective showing what not only the candidate but many non-ethnic volunteers endured. I have heard via sources that it was almost like FREEDOM MARCHERS as the troop of young canvassers from all over integrated the south soliciting support.

I love the idea of this documentary it truly is amazing because the producer got in early now we and the world for generations to come and beyond will be able to chronicle what, when, where who and how this candidate became one of the most admire figures in the world.

I wish I could see it but cannot ( I am in Switzerland) I need a lift upper right about down.

--
Warmest regards,
Cordialement,

LeeAndrew

[ezeflyer]

"FRIGHTWINGERS". I like that.

[billygore2000]

Ed Norton is a superb actor who comes across as a guy with both feet on the ground it would be nice to know and call a friend. Everybody in Hollywood anymore is an "artist," no matter how unworthy of the term. But this documentary does strike a note of creativity and originality that may mean Norton is the real McCoy, as well as a superb actor, a real guy, a true friend, a great lover, somebody who has read a book from cover to cover and who wouldn't submit a canine to dog fights. And if he ever voted Republican, he must have been acting out a crazy version of himself--like in that movie he starred in with Richard whatshisname.

[bairesfiesta]

You really are fond of Ed Norton.

[zxrod]

Yeah I think adding 'a great lover' kind of put it over the top. Seen American History X too many times? Now I'm grossing myself out.

[bairesfiesta]

Obama makes liberal people feel good and that is all the matterrs.

[Lee Andrew]

I hope that this shows the campaign offices that were destroyed with racist graffiti etc. The reason I hope this is because that element was hidden by the campaign purposely which was a great strategy. Now I think with all this cloaked racism from the FRIGHTWINGERS it could be effective showing what not only the candidate but many non-ethnic volunteers endured. I have heard via sources that it was almost like FREEDOM MARCHERS as the troop of young canvassers from all over integrated the south soliciting support.

I love the idea of this documentary it truly is amazing because the producer got in early now we and the world for generations to come and beyond will be able to chronicle what, when, where who and how this candidate became one of the most admire figures in the world.

I wish I could see it but cannot ( I am in Switzerland) I need a lift upper right about down.

--
Warmest regards,
Cordialement,

LeeAndrew

[jelly450]

MSNBC should give Lawrence O' Donnell the 7PM slot. It is just a repeat of Hardball.

[liberalNmoderation]

Agreed...One hour of teh tweetster is plenty...
Here's a fun fact!
http://www.ksbw.com/news/21404492/detail.html#

[Monrocsol]

The documentary should be called The Peoples' been Had!

[ljc]

Try thinking outside the box once in a while..

[waldenpp]

try locking yourself in a box

[sleeperd]

"Where's my Obama Money?? Gimmee my Obama Money!!"

[liberalNmoderation]

It's at my house, come and get it.