[Review] Vice: Thank You to Satan

Vice was one of my most anticipated films this year. Christian Bale's physical transformation and performance were simply irresistible, and director Adam McKay's previous work, The Big Short, was truly an interesting and entertaining movie. As it turns out, Vice continues to be very interesting, though its perspective and subject matter might not be acceptable to all audiences.

Vice tells the story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), widely regarded as the most powerful Vice President in American history. The film begins his story with the 9/11 attacks, which is an expected approach. After all, 9/11 was the most significant event during George W. Bush's administration, fundamentally altering the political landscape of the time and subsequent historical developments. Furthermore, in portraying Dick Cheney, 9/11 seems like a perfect moment, as this crisis best highlights his character traits and ambition. However, what surprised me most about the film was its attempt to explore some lesser-known details about Dick Cheney's youth. The film's trailers, stills, and posters primarily featured images of Christian Bale, having gained weight, portraying Dick Cheney during his vice presidency, leading me to believe the film would mainly revolve around his eight years in office. Unexpectedly, the film tries to start with Dick Cheney's marriage and family, deconstructing some of his political actions and stances. This seemingly aims to humanize the character, making him appear no different from an ordinary person, still caring about his family; but as the plot progresses, this perspective takes on a different meaning.

Although the film spends some time depicting how Dick Cheney, influenced by his wife, gradually rose from a failure to the core of power, only to experience failure again, the main plot still revolves around his story after becoming Vice President of the United States and truly reaching the pinnacle of power. Through this character and those around him, the film criticizes and satirizes that administration. As mentioned earlier, the film's opening segment seemingly attempts to humanize Dick Cheney, showing us that even while pursuing power, he still has concerns for his family, basing all his decisions on their interests. In the middle of the film, after the president he served, George H. W. Bush, was defeated by Bill Clinton and failed to win re-election, Cheney also decides to enter the business world, henceforth staying away from politics with his family, living a happy life. At this point, the film even shows the end credits, symbolizing the film's conclusion. However, all viewers know that this is merely director Adam McKay's satirical technique; how could an ambitious politician like Dick Cheney give up his political career so easily? The film then enters its "main act," focusing on how Dick Cheney, after becoming Vice President, skillfully exploited various loopholes in the Constitution to gain supreme power and control the operations of the government.

After this turning point, the film's portrayal of Dick Cheney undergoes a significant transformation. He was already taciturn, but now he exudes an even deeper sense of cunning and calculation. I even feel that the latter half of the film directly sculpts him into the image of a dictator, a devil. One scene even seems to echo Big Brother from 1984, making it no wonder that Christian Bale, upon winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor, stated that Satan inspired him to play this role. Director Adam McKay also utilized his personal style, depicting Dick Cheney and his staff in a very humorous manner, making them appear like evil villains from a cartoon. In the director's previous work, The Big Short, he invited well-known figures to directly explain complex financial concepts to the audience in their real identities. This time, he even uses nearly surreal techniques, employing exaggerated, fictional scenarios to present how evil these characters are. For example, Dick Cheney's wife, Lynne (Amy Adams), recites Shakespearean classics in bed, and a waiter in a restaurant presents the evening's menu to Dick Cheney and his staff, with each option on the menu being a real-world military option. While not everyone may agree with the director's political views, the film's creative way of presenting these scenes is incredibly entertaining and guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

Behind the laughter, the director not only highlights the evil of Dick Cheney and his staff but also satirizes the ignorance and folly of certain politicians, government officials, and ordinary citizens. Under a robust system, Dick Cheney's and his staff's machinations might not have succeeded, and Dick Cheney might not have wielded such immense power. The film skillfully uses Cheney's calculations to contrast with the incompetence and indecisiveness of then-President George W. Bush, as well as the ignorance and folly of various figures within the system. It was precisely the "cooperation" of these supporting characters that allowed Dick Cheney to exploit all these loopholes and blind spots to control government information and operations, launch the War on Terror, rationalize the torture of prisoners, and consolidate his power. Towards the end of the film, Dick Cheney appears to have completely transformed into a devil. The film then inserts a scene of him seemingly dying after his term ends and he retreats behind the scenes. Just when the film seems to be humanizing the character again, his heart transplant operation seems to tell the audience that the original flesh-and-blood Dick Cheney, whose heart was still beating, has died. What remains is a devil whose life was bought at the expense of others. This devil is no longer the Dick Cheney who prioritized his family's interests; now he is willing to sacrifice his younger daughter so that his elder daughter can remain in politics, extending the family's longevity. Extending one's own life by sacrificing others' lives—isn't this exactly what Dick Cheney was doing throughout his vice presidency?

Director Adam McKay's previous work, The Big Short, told an engaging story while also making complex financial concepts understandable to the audience in a relatively lighthearted way, providing deep insight into the causes of the subprime mortgage crisis. This time, Vice discusses some loopholes in the American Constitution, how they allow those in power to gain supreme authority through the unitary executive theory, and the terrible consequences of such abuses of power. Compared to the more complex concepts in The Big Short, the theme of Vice is arguably simpler and more closely related to ordinary citizens, thus making it more engaging for audiences. After watching the film, some might feel that it is too subjective and that many plot points cannot be factually proven, seeming like a pure personal attack on Dick Cheney. Honestly, I had that feeling myself towards the end of the film and therefore harbored some reservations about it. However, the film includes a very important segment in the end credits, demonstrating that the director understands the film's flaws while also enhancing its satirical effect. In the current highly polarized American society, this film is destined to face fierce criticism from conservatives and provoke backlash from liberals. Fundamentally, almost anything in the real world can cause opposition and division between the two factions, and the director's intention is not to mend their relationship but to awaken those who are politically apathetic and have remained aloof (especially young people). Perhaps this is because, in today's society, ignorance and apathy can fuel the rise of authoritarianism!

Christian Bale gained weight to portray Dick Cheney, and beyond the physical transformation, his entire demeanor, every movement, and tone of voice felt like a different person. It was almost impossible to tell that an actor was playing a character. He portrayed this role from youth to old age, and although his dialogue seemed to diminish, his taciturn nature, his gaze, and his steady body language conveyed the terrifying, cold-hearted side of the character even more powerfully. Although he played the supposedly venerable Vice President of the United States, he seemed to be portraying a devil, a film villain. And Amy Adams, once again collaborating with Christian Bale, also portrays Lynne from youth to old age. Compared to Dick Cheney, this character seems to have more layers and variations, providing Amy Adams with an excellent opportunity to showcase her talent. However, just like her previous collaborations with Christian Bale, no matter how excellent her performance is this time, she still seems to miss out on Oscar awards. It appears what she lacks is not ability or opportunity, but luck.