Cawley W.

Of all the scenes in W., I believe those that reveal the character of the 43rd president of the United States best would be those he shares with his father. This is because Junior becomes the way he is through his unstable relationship with his father. A prime example of this can be observed when Junior is speaking with his father in the latter’s office in 1971. Bush senior is deeply disappointed in his son’s behavior in regards to his drunken antics, jobs he has failed, and the possibility that he has impregnated a girl. Bush senior is constantly one-upping his son in the argument and has the final word. Junior has a lot of pressure being the son of a wealthy politician and even more for his brother, Jeb, is well on the way to success as well. Junior also feels as though his father looks down upon his baseball dreams. This father-son issue characterizes his presidency as well. Junior feels as though he must accomplish more than his father. To tie this to their argument in the scene described before, Junior hopes to “one-up” his fathers presidency as his father has somewhat “one-upped” him throughout his life. Back to the scene, Bush senior sits in his oversized office chair as Junior stands behind his desk almost as if he is an employee. A shadow is cast on the side of his face throughout the entire scene. Bush Senior, on the other hand, is lit up for the most part and zoomed in upon frequently. This adds to the effect that his opinions and decisions are superior to those of his son. The camera shots focusing on Junior and his perspective of his father also seem to be slightly more erratic, this somewhat mirrors Junior’s confusion and frustration.