In the grand pantheon of Al Pacino films, “American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally” doesn’t even crack the top half. But if you find this strange tale from American history compelling, or you are simply a Pacino fan looking for a fix, it’s well worth your time.
Directed and co-written by the underrated Michael Polish (“The Astronaut Farmer”), this film brings his signature style, maximum-low-budget aesthetic, and bleak inclinations to a story that should carry relevance for a modern audience. Nearly 80 years ago, Axis Sally was the original “fake news,” a broadcaster hiding behind “entertainment” as a defense for misleading, angering, and demoralizing those within the sound of her voice. She is now long gone (Mildred Gillars, her real name, died in 1988), but her pioneering methods of propaganda and media manipulation still pose a threat to America, every day.
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