With the invention of the television, the 20th century had a new frontline for some of the most brutal feuds in history to occur. In ‘Best of Enemies’ we see a long lasting feud between Gore Vidal and Bill Buckley blow up in televised debates.
From Oscar winning Morgan Neville and Grammy winning Robert Gordon, the unmissable Best of Enemies hits cinemas on Friday but first we take a look at some of the greatest feuds in film:
Bobby Fischer Against the World
Bobby Fischer vs. Boris Spassky
The film ‘Bobby Fischer Against the World’ details the beginnings of a long lasting rivalry between World Chess Champions Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Director Liz Garbus takes us on a journey through the Cold War and the part Bobby Fischer, literally, played in it. Nowadays most people probably would not think of “chess champion” when trying to imagine a hero, but during the early years of the Cold War that is exactly what Bobby Fischer became to the American public.
The Space Race was a historic competition, but was not the only way America and Russia competed for world dominance in the eyes of the public. When Bobby Fischer declared to the world that his goal was to defeat the reigning world champion Boris Spassky, a Russian, the entire country rallied behind him. Though Fischer eventually defeated Spassky, their rivalry went on for decades and is still remembered as one of the bitterest of the 20th century.
Ali-Frazier I: One Nation…Divisible
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
The boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier remains one of the most famous televised events in history. The United States was a country divided and not unlike the feud between Vidal and Buckley, Ali and Frazier represented the opposing sides. In the eyes of the public, Ali represented radical change where Frazier represented a more conservative America.
This rivalry had a slow beginning and their attacks on each other consisted of much more than thrown fists. Their feud escalated for a number of years between these two heavyweight champions before they finally met each other in the boxing ring. Writer Dave Anderson reveals the true story of what was happening between these two boxing legends when they weren’t in the ring and the events that led up to their legendary match.
Frost/Nixon
David Frost vs. Richard Nixon
Director Ron Howard can boast five Oscar wins for this excellent retelling of the most shocking political interview of the 20th century. Howard takes the audience through the events leading up to the interview and examines the tensions that were happening behind the scenes during. The feud between David Frost and Richard Nixon was short lived, but the results of this rivalry became one of the most infamous events in American history.
David Frost was an entertainer and had never done a major political investigative interview. To Frost, this interview was his big break. Nixon was an old man who had left the Whitehouse in shame and wanted to amend his legacy, the interview was his chance for public redemption. Their public feud only consisted within the interviews once Frost began asking the hard hitting questions that led to Nixon’s final downfall, but there is no doubt that their resentment continued long after the cameras had turned off.
Best of Enemies
Gore Vidal vs. William F. Buckley Jr.