Talk about a movie that predicted politics in the mass media age, where just looking and sounding good and having a concise and catchy soundbite will get you far. Peter Sellers' simple gardner is by the end of the film being seriously talked up as a presidential candidate just because he's polite, well-groomed and his simple gardening tips are taken as profound metaphors for whatever the audience chooses to interpret them as. The character is this blank slate that everyone can project their own hopes and beliefs on and thus he rises ever further in esteem and power. Thankfully, "Chauncy Gardiner" is a simply and decent soul, but the film shows how someone much less benign than him could achieve power (and, many would argue, has).Added, it's pretty clear why Peter Sellers identified with the character and why it was such a passion project for him (to the point that a major reason he did the "Pink Panther" sequels in the 1970s was to restore his box office appeal and get the clout to have this film made). Chance is a character who is whatever the person talking to him expects him to be, an empty vessel reflecting the views of everyone around him. Of course Sellers, a man who famously said he had no personality of his own, only those of the characters he played, would see himself in such a character. via /r/movies https://ift.tt/3zXHXQl
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