26th Boston Film Festival - Norman Mailer: The American

Director: Joseph Mantegna

Producer: Joseph Mantegna

A provocateur, a rebel, a performer, and a true American, Norman Mailer never stopped giving people something to talk about. This documentary goes beyond the Mailer of the book shelves to Mailer the social critic, family man, filmmaker, and lover. Growing up in Brooklyn NY, Norman Mailer began his long career as a writer at Harvard University. From there he went on to serve in the US Army in World War II, which became the basis for his break out novel, The Naked and the Dead. He wrote over 60 books and covered event major event in U.S history including the Apollo 11 launch, the death of John F Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, the Rumble in the Jungle fight in Zaire, and many more. He didn’t only write about these events, he lived them experiencing them from the frontlines. He was married six times and stabbed his second wife. A serious police force, Mailer not only wrote about politicians but ran for office as well. He sparred verbally (attacking Gore Vidal during one of his many performances on Dick Cavett's Show) and physically (attacking Rip Torn after being bludgeoned over the head in his film, Maidstone). He had 9 children. With never before seen footage of Adele Morales, Mailer's startling revelations years after being stabbed by her husband. Featuring footage and interviews from wives and lovers, enemies and admirers, his children and the man himself, this is Norman Mailer as you've never seen him before.

Runtime: 1:47