Watch the movie "J. Edgar, 2011" and write a 3page paper
Introduction:
J Edgar Hoover was the FBI when it was founded in 1938 as he planned it. Conceived it and ruled it for almost 40 years until his death, a rule which defined the way investigations and monitoring were made and which are still actually prevalent to this day. However Hoover also harboured deep prejudices in an ingrained style of conservatism especially his ingrained racism and abhorrence of philandering. A closet homosexual, he was fiercely protective of his own privacy yet he never balked at exposing others and ruthlessly ruined other people’s lives for his own gain as well as his reputation. He was also obsessed with what he called the ‘Communist cancer’ and went after several left wing individuals with a vengeance that was almost despicable in its intensity.
Hoover the film
Hoover’s impact was obviously something which cannot be denied as he was the FBI for many decades. The film describes his early beginnings as a private investigator and detective and demonstrates his prowess at solving crimes and problems which eventually led him to rise highly in the Department of Homeland Security. The creation of the FBI which was his brainchild is obviously given a lot of importance and one could immediately observe the heavy handed methods which Hoover used when dealing with problems. The FBI developed several new interrogation techniques during his tenure and these included some rather violent ones which were obviously kept secret but which were approved by Presidents and other senior members of subsequent administrations.
The present day FBI is perhaps rather more subdued than it was in Hoover’s day although there are several issues which are continually treated with importance. Civil Rights is something which crops up quite regularly in today’s FBI docket although Hoover was secretly a racist and suspected Martin Luther King to be influenced by Communism.
Hoover had problems dealing with personal issues such as his homosexuality which was a taboo issue at the time and which also influenced other persons who were close to him such as Charles Colson. Perhaps it was this insecurity which created problems for the way he administered the FBI as his personal fiefdom for several decades and he brooked no interference from anyone in this regard.
His soul was consistently tormented as he could not come out on the issue of homosexuality which was obviously seriously taboo at the time. Add all that to his authoritarian style which also led him to fanatically bug most of President Kennedy’s private rooms to put a spotlight on the President’s notorious philandering, something which Hoover really abhorred and couldn’t stand.
Hoover was also very much an autocrat on deciding which issues to investigate. He was particularly helpful when it came to scares about ‘Red’ or Communist people but on the issue of Civil Rights he was notoriously lukewarm. However to his credit he did not impede the investigation into the 1963 Philadelphia, Mississippi murders which eventually led to the federal convictions of five men on violation of civil rights charges. However by that time, Hoover’s influence at the FBI was fading and this could seem to explain the fact that he was technically no longer very much in control.
The film does an excellent job in depicting the descent from the top of Hoover who went into inevitable decline after the 1960’s. His influence was still very much felt particularly amongst the younger executives but as time went by he become more relenting on his authority and also delegated a number of tasks. However his secret of homosexuality died with him although there were some who knew it, all the files which could have shed some light on the matter were destroyed after his death adding more mystery and fuelling further rumours on his situation.
The film does have its drawbacks as it is quite negative on Hoover although admittedly there is a lot to commend it as it offers a direct comparison of what used to happen in Hoover’s life in the early part of his career. It is also good at examining the psychological issues which affected Hoover throughout his life and which made him the person that we know much more about today. Although not everything is put out to be clear, one can only commend this film as it shows the autocratic style of Hoover but also reveals his many weaknesses as a person which tend to dominate our worldview of him. To round up, it is indeed an excellent film throughout with a lot to commend it and is extremely revealing of the FBI as an organization which was the brainchild of Hoover but which has also developed substantially over the years.
References:
"Hoover, J. Edgar", The Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth ed.).Columbia University Press. 2007.
Documented in Cox, John Stuart and Theoharis, Athan G. (1988). The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition. Temple University Press. ISBN 0-87722-532-X.and elsewhere.
Pub.L. 94-503, 90 Stat. 2427, 28 U.S.C. § 432: In note: Confirmation and Compensation of Director; Term of Service
"Obama signs 2-year extension to Mueller's FBI tenure". CNN. July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
Cox, John Stuart and Theoharis, Athan G. (1988). The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition. Temple University Press. ISBN 0-87722-532-X.
