Um, Guys? I’m fairly certain the smoke from that is toxic.

In the opening moments of Jürgen Vsych’s campaign video for Ralph Nader, the rules for the Kerry/Bush debates are thrown onto a charcoal grill and burnt to a crisp. It’s nice when a movie is willing to admit exactly where it’s coming from. In the thirty-minute video, Ralph Nader is flanked by two dolls representing President Bush and Senator Kerry. Bush and Kerry’s responses to questions are reduced to soundbites, while Ralph Nader is held to no discernable time limit. One could also point out that Bush and Kerry are not given a chance to rebut Nader’s statements – but that’s more a fault of Nader not being on the stage to debate Kerry and Bush than it is a fault of the filmmakers’.

And Ralph Nader Crashes the Two Parties is not, in fact, a debate. It is a campaign video. It exists to get Nader’s platform out and to the people. And it works to that end with a sly sense of humor.

“Mr. President, I’m certain ‘wrap yourself in the flag’ is just an expression.”

Vsych reports that the entirety of Nader’s portion of the debate was shot without retakes. “One-take Ralph,” says Vsych, worked from her single direction: “Sit there – here we go!” At times, that one-take production style can be a little bit rough. Occasionally Nader stumbles over a word, and at other times fumbles for a way to end a sentence that may have been started before it was finished in his mind. In this one aspect, however, it can be said that the video mirrors a real political debate – Nader had only one chance to make his point on each question. And at no time does he make any linguistic fumbles worth of the esteemed incumbent’s reputation.

The figurines made for the debate are fascinating. They are built on G.I. Joe bodies that are easily dwarfed by Ralph Nader as he sits at the table, and come outfitted with a variety of props. In addition to fatigues, Bush sometimes wears a cowboy hat and sheriff’s badge, while Kerry’s fireman’s outfit sometimes features a helmet and fire axe, as well as a sword with which to hunt down and kill the terrorists. Special effects expert Jonathan Horton – whose credits include ImHoTep for the Universal theme park ride based on The Mummy, as well as the white dolphin in The Life Aquatic and sculpting for Enemy Mine – sculpts the heads of the dolls with almost eerie attention to detail.

Hi-ho, Silver, away!

While Nader talks about the issues important to his campaign – a living wage, universal medical care, and homeland security – the Bush and Kerry dolls remain active in cutaways that show them playing with toy tanks and brandishing purple hearts. This is probably a wise decision, as Ralph Nader is far from the most dynamic speaker to ever outline a platform. While he may make good points, bring up important issues, and have a good sense of humor (as proven simply by his participation in this project), his delivery doesn’t really rock until he gets onto issues directly addressing consumer protection – and the puppets flanking him, rather than distracting from his points, help to keep the audience focused on what is being said during some of the less vibrant moments.

In the 2004 campaign, director Jürgen Vsych worked as the campaign videographer and photographer for Ralph Nader. It was while working in this capacity that she directed Ralph Nader Crashes the Two Parties. As it stands now, the video is an intriguing historical document on the political issues that drove Nader into the race. Agree or disagree with him, you at least know where he stands. As a candidate with no major poll numbers to lose Nader speaks without pulling punches, even if he isn’t the most energetic candidate. Such a video produced by either of the two major parties would be political suicide. But for Nader, it’s a political footnote that serves to explain his campaign in clear, simple, and good-humored terms.

“I could have blown this up at Kinko’s. Remember my fiscal responsibility.”