Medium Cool

Medium Cool (1969) is a film directed by Haskell Wexler and starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill and Harold Blankenship. It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1968.
John Cassellis (Robert Forster) is a television news cameraman. In one of the opening scenes, a group of cameramen and journalists are discussing the ethical responsibilities within their profession: When should filming a gruesome scene end and human responsibility to try to save a life begin? As viewers we are presented with issues such as violence as spectacle, political and social discontent, extreme racism, and class divisions. The film is constantly juggling actual footage with feature film image. Wexler uses footage from military training camps in Illinois who are preparing for potential riots and demonstrations from students during the Democratic National Convention later that summer.