Bulworth 1998

As the clock strikes March 1996, a sense of desperation hangs over the once-thriving political career of Jay B. Bulworth, a 60-year-old Democratic Senator on the brink of electoral defeat. Weary of the empty promises and soulless politics that have consumed his life, Bulworth’s frustration has reached a boiling point. His socialist ideals, forged in the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, have lost their appeal to voters, prompting him to compromise his values for the sake of re-election. Behind closed doors, his marriage to Constance (Christine Baranski) is a farce, with both parties engaged in secret trysts that threaten to upend their carefully crafted public image.

Feeling trapped and suffocated by the constraints of politics, Bulworth makes a shocking decision: he negotiates a $10 million life insurance policy, with his daughter as the beneficiary. In exchange for a favorable vote from the insurance industry, he agrees to surrender his life force within two days, knowing that a suicide would nullify his daughter’s inheritance. As the clock ticks away, Bulworth becomes increasingly reckless, indulging in excessive drinking and finally, an unexpected epiphany.

Upon arriving in California to revive his faltering campaign, Bulworth shocks his beleaguered campaign manager Dennis Murphy (Oliver Platt) with his newfound carefree spirit. Uninvited, he crashes a lively African American church service in South Central Los Angeles, where he embarks on a candid and unapologetic rampage of truth-telling. As the C-SPAN cameras roll, Bulworth’s unbridled honesty and provocative remarks transform him into an overnight sensation, reigniting his campaign and captivating the media.

As his newfound fame spreads like wildfire, Bulworth finds himself swept up in a whirlwind romance with Nina (Halle Berry), a young black activist who joins him on his campaign trail. Pursued by paparazzi, insurance investigators, and adoring fans alike, Bulworth is torn between his fear of impending assassination and the thrill of rediscovering his authentic voice.

As the televised debate reaches its climax, Senator Bulworth (Warren Beatty) indulges in a defiant display of candor, swigging from a flask and skewering insurance companies and the American healthcare system. Seeking refuge from the fallout, he retreats to Nina’s family home in South Central Los Angeles, where the gritty reality of life in the ghetto serves as a stark contrast to his polished political persona.

As he wanders through the neighborhood, Bulworth stumbles upon a group of kids hawking crack on the streets. When they attempt to strong-arm him into purchasing their wares, he instead treats them to a round of ice cream, defusing the tense situation and earning their respect. Later, as he intervenes in a racially motivated confrontation between the police and the kids, he learns that they are merely pawns in the game of L.D. (Don Cheadle), a ruthless local drug lord who holds sway over Nina’s brother.

Bulworth’s television appearance, arranged by his campaign manager, marks a turning point in his journey. With Nina’s words echoing in his mind, he takes to the airwaves, delivering an impassioned rap that lambastes the systemic injustices faced by poor black Americans and their struggles with education and employment. His unorthodox solution – “everybody should fuck everybody” until everyone is “all the same color” – sends shockwaves through the audience and his interviewer.

In the aftermath of this electrifying performance, Bulworth narrowly escapes an assassination attempt before fleeing the scene with Nina and seeking refuge at her family home. It is here that she reveals a stunning truth: she is the very assassin he had unwittingly hired to take out his political rival, motivated by the need to pay off her brother’s debt to L.D. With this revelation, Nina renounces her contract, her heart now won over by Bulworth’s genuine empathy.

As Bulworth falls into a deep sleep, exhausted from days of turmoil, Nina watches over him with tender care. The media, meanwhile, is abuzz with speculation about his mysterious disappearance on election day. As the country grapples with the implications of his actions, people from all walks of life respond to the television coverage, their voices raised in outrage and indignation against the systemic injustices that have long plagued American society.

In the end, Bulworth emerges victorious from the primary election, his unconventional campaign having galvanized a movement that will not soon be silenced.

As morning dawns, the cacophony of camera clicks and reporters’ queries descends upon Nina’s humble abode, all eager to capture the candid thoughts of Bulworth (John Travolta). Meanwhile, L.D. (Tom Arnold) makes a surprise visit, his previously hardened demeanor now softened by a change of heart. He offers a conciliatory gesture, proposing that Nina’s brother might work off his debt rather than suffering harm or retribution. As if on cue, Bulworth emerges from the bedroom, refreshed and revitalized, beckoning Nina to join him outside. After a moment of hesitation, she consents, and the two share a passionate embrace amidst the cheering crowd. But their romantic interlude is short-lived, as a sudden and jarring event unfolds: Graham Crockett (Paul Sorvino), an assassin hired by insurance company lobbyists fearful of Bulworth’s single-payer health care initiative, emerges from the shadows to strike down his target. The would-be presidential candidate crumples motionless on the pavement, surrounded by Nina, Dennis, L.D., and a sea of onlookers. As the dust settles, Crockett disappears into the chaos, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty about Bulworth’s fate.

The film’s denouement presents an elderly vagrant, whose earlier encounter with Bulworth had left a lasting impression. Now, standing alone outside a hospital, this enigmatic figure implores the audience not to let Bulworth become a mere ghost, but rather a guiding spirit – a notion he had shared with the senator in a moment of introspection. The final shot of the film serves as a poignant reminder, asking viewers to carry forward the same message: to find their own “song” and channel it into a force for positive change.