It’s possible this presentation could have been more effective with someone who possessed a greater ability to use irony or satire. However, as it stands, the result is an overly serious and straightforward examination of those identified as “hoaxters.” This group includes figures such as Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, and Stalin, individuals who pledged improved living conditions and chances for their citizens—promises that ultimately resulted in widespread destruction during wartime. Simultaneously, we observe a United States enjoying its democratic freedoms, strongly asserting the potential threats should communist ideologies gain influence across the Atlantic. It’s essentially standard patriotic messaging, so there are no real surprises here. What it fails to do is provide background information regarding the circumstances that facilitated the ascent of fascism and totalitarianism in Europe. Considering the widespread destruction following the Great War, along with the ensuing political instability, joblessness, homelessness, and poverty, an attempt should have been made to explain how persuasive speeches, when combined with appeals to national pride and aggressive nationalism, can be particularly compelling for populations that are just as educated as those in the United States. Clearly designed for a domestic audience, it likely served a specific purpose—but as an impartial assessment of how extremism translates into electoral victories, it doesn’t quite succeed, instead targeting easily condemned historical figures and leaving viewers no better informed than if they had simply read contemporary newspaper headlines from opposing viewpoints.

Source on TMDB