Taking place at the height of the cold war, John Frankenheimer's Seven Days In May is a blistering political thriller with an anti-war, anti-aggression message, detailing the power struggle between President Jordan Lyman, an unpopular commander-and-chief, and General Scott, an extremely popular war hero, whose set his sights on the throne, unwilling to except what he perceives as weakness from the current administration. The inciting incident of these two men's cloak-and-dagger power struggle for control of the U.S. government is the signing of an arms reduction treaty with the Soviet Union by President Lyman, a decision that hasn't sat particularly well with the American people or General Scott, who views this treaty as a sign of weakness, vocal in his opposition. Marine Crops Col. Jiggs Casey, who works directly for Scott, soon comes to the conclusion that senior military officers, lead by General Scott, are plotting a coup to overthrow the current administration, a discovery which forces Casey to turn his back on the man he has long admired in General Scott, doing so for the sake of the republic and the government institutions which he himself has sworn to protect. John Frankenheimer's Seven Days in May is a story of allegiances, oaths, and the coercive nature of pride, a film which finds Jiggs Casey confronted with his conscience, torn between his long-standing relationship with General Scott and his allegiances to the United States Constitution and the current administration. Jiggs Casey is a military man himself, one who also doesn't support the the President's pacifist approach, yet he fully recongized the danger in the extreme measures in which Scott is willing to go for the sake of patriotism, defense, and pride, leaving the protege in a place of mere solitude, unsure who he can trust as he rushes to gather evidence of Scott's treachery for the President. Both these men, President Lyman & General Scott, believe they are doing what is right for the sake of the people, yet Lyman's actions went through proper channels, with his treaty being approved by congress. In this sense, the intermingled nature of government institutions and military force is explored throughout Seven Days In May, with Frankenheimer's film being a resonant reminder of how much these two power structures can be at odds with each other over the right course of action, with the people's will, the democratic process, detached from the prideful actions of both military or political individuals, who each may have their own perspective. Scott's actions, ones he believes are the best course of action for the american people, ignore the constitutional processes, driven by his own individualistic ideals of what is necessary, with Seven Days in May using his downfall to exhibit the paramount importance of maintaining a democratic republic. One could even argue that Seven Days in May is a critique of formal government institutions as a whole in some ways, as the film exhibits humanities desire to be lead, with each of these men being in places of supreme power due to government, each driven by their individual beliefs, casting division and conflict among the American people in the process as they battle behind the scenes for control. Seven Days In May never casts much doubt about the nature of Scott's actions, as the viewer is led to believe early on that he is in fact performing a coup, and despite this lack of ambiguity, the film's tension and intrigue never waiver, a testament to John Frankenheimer's abilities as a director, crafting a compelling, tense match of egos, with General Scott and President Lyman fighting behind the scenes for the hearts of the American people. President Lymann and General Scott's battle over the treaty is a symbolic representation of the long standing division in this country as it relates to military interventionism and weapons manufacturing, with Seven Days In May in the end being a plea for peace and optimism, with Frankenheimer himself rejecting General Scott's aggression-based model of defense.
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June 2023
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