In going to 'Boys State,' young men get a chance to see firsthand how the two-party political system in America works; in watching this documentary about it, we get a chance to see just how dangerously flawed it is. Setting aside the deeply conservative views of many of the predominantly white Texans and the alarm they cause on their own, we see many disturbing things: the desire to be on the winning side being more important than the policies in the platform, the need to deceive to run for office, how whipping people into a frenzy by chanting slogans is easier and more powerful than confronting difficult issues with the nuance they require, an undercurrent of race bias, and the use of social media and innuendo to smear the opponent.
One young fellow, Ben Feinstein, is incredibly charismatic, articulate, and intelligent - but we also see him consistently takes the low road as a party campaign chairman, which is unfortunate given his talents. The kid who is genuinely honest and seeks to understand the others and find pragmatic middle ground as a gubernatorial candidate, Steven Garza, is what politics desperately needs more of, but we see how difficult it is for someone like him to succeed. (Though as a side note, having Napoleon as a hero is an odd choice given the death and suffering attributable to him). It's a well-made documentary, with lots of candid moments and behind the scenes interviews, but I have to say, it's depressing too.
