Neil Barksy’s engrossing new documentary is an affectionate look at one of the most infuriating larger-than-life politicians who almost loved his job and his city as much as he adored himself. Ed Koch was a three term Mayor of New York who rescued his city from the throes of bankruptcy in the 1970’s and practically single-handedly dragged it back kicking and screaming into being a vibrant metropolis. He was a single-minded arrogant autocratic leader, brutally stubborn, traits which helped him in enforcing some staggeringly painful financial cuts to make the City solvent again despite public outcries and municipal workers going on strike.
Koch’s catchphrase whether he was campaigning or just hustling in public was his constant shout out ‘How I’m Doing?’ , but it’s very clear that he was never really interested in what the response was. This media-hogging pushy man lived his life very much in the public eye centre-stage basked in constant attention, and he didn’t seemed to be that fazed if it was negative. Right from his early foray into politics he judged how good a day was simply by the column inches he got in newspapers.
Barsky gave us a history of Koch’s three mayoral terms interspersed with interviews with some of the key NY figures at the time. He laced it with a footage of the present day Koch, in his mid-eighties, still a major player, but as Mayor Bloomberg joked, more of a ‘Brand’ these days. There was no question that Koch used influential people to get himself elected and then once in office he would infuriate them by reneging on his promises for the sake of political expediency. At one time or another he managed to fall out with the Black Community, and the Jewish one, plus the increasingly powerful Gay community too. With the latter, he won points for passing major Legislation to stop Discrimination, but his lackadaisical response to the AIDS crisis, then at it’s peak, had the furious community up in arms at what they considered a major betrayal.
Lovable rogue or self-aggrandizing ego-maniac? After watching 90 minutes of some fascinating footage that covered some of the highlights and low points of his career, I think the jury is still out on that. His legacy will be the massive re-building of the Bronx public housing, and the fact that he was responsible for the city’s survival/revival. He will also be remembered bitterly by some of his missteps such as the closure of the Sydenham Hospital in Harlem which even he admits was wrong.
What is indisputable was his passion and his humor, and with him in charge there was never ever a dull moment. He joked himself through some of the tough parts of his life, like losing the Primary for a fourth term as Mayor. ‘The people have told me to go, so now they must suffer’ he laughs, but a little too hard for it not to completely hide his pain. Interestingly though many people echoed the sentiments of activist minister Calvin O. Butts who certainly shared no love for the man, but he unhesitatingly concedes that Koch was the quintessential New York mayor of their lifetime.
In the closing minutes of the film Barsky pushes the ex-Mayor on the one question that he has dodged his whole life i.e. is he gay? The very public slurs and loud innuendos almost stopped his career before it even took off. He still refused to answer, claiming that that his sexuality is absolutely nobody’s business. But whether he was straight or gay, what the film does show so poignantly was that after all the crowds had gone this man, that only seemed to come alive in the spotlight, goes home totally alone.
Love him or hate him, the film is unmissable.
P.S. Ed Koch died aged 88 on Feb 1st 2013 : the same week this film premiered in his beloved New York.
