Adam McKay's Vice offers a trenchant examination of Dick Cheney's ascent to power, and its narrative structure is as deliberate and impactful as the political maneuvering it depicts. Rather than a linear chronological account, the film employs a fragmented and non-linear temporal approach, weaving together disparate moments from Cheney's life with anachronistic commentary and direct address to the audience. This deliberate disruption of chronological flow is not merely an aesthetic choice; it is fundamental to the film's argument, serving to contextualize Cheney's actions, reveal the manipulative nature of power, and ultimately, to implicate the viewer in a critical reassessment of his legacy. By presenting events out of sequence and interjecting meta-narrative elements, Vice forces the audience to actively construct meaning, mirroring the way historical narratives are often curated and contested.
The film's temporal fragmentation begins early, immediately setting a precedent for how the audience will engage with Cheney's story. The opening scenes, for instance, juxtapose his college expulsion and burgeoning political ambition with later events, such as the Iraq War and his heart condition. This juxtaposition immediately suggests that the consequences of his early decisions are long-reaching and deeply intertwined with his later actions. For example, the film shows a young Cheney, struggling with his identity and direction, being inspired by Donald Rumsfeld’s pragmatism, only to cut to an older Cheney, now Chief of Staff, wielding immense power. This rapid oscillation between past and present denies the viewer a comforting sense of progressive causality. Instead, it underscores how present power is built upon and continuously informed by past choices, often made in moments of perceived crisis or ambition. This technique prevents the audience from simply observing a life unfold; it demands that they consider the accumulated weight of decisions and their enduring repercussions.
Furthermore, the film's meta-narrative interjections, particularly the framing device of a documentary being presented by a fictional narrator (played by Christian Bale), actively manipulate the temporal experience. This narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall, offering asides and commentary that directly address the audience's understanding of historical events. When discussing Cheney's role in shaping the Patriot Act, for instance, the film might flash back to an earlier, seemingly insignificant moment of his career or forward to the justifications later offered for its existence. This temporal dislocation creates dramatic irony and highlights the constructed nature of historical accounts. The narrator's intrusions, often laced with dark humor, serve to remind the audience that what they are watching is a version of history, filtered through a specific interpretive lens. This conscious manipulation of time and perspective encourages skepticism towards official narratives and prompts a deeper consideration of how historical figures are remembered and judged.
The non-linear structure also allows Vice to draw thematic parallels across different periods of Cheney’s life. The film repeatedly revisits themes of power, ambition, and the erosion of democratic norms, linking them through recurring visual motifs and narrative echoes. For instance, Cheney's early interactions with Rumsfeld, characterized by a keen understanding of how to gain influence within bureaucratic structures, are mirrored in his later strategies as Vice President. The film doesn't present these as separate events but as a continuous, evolving pattern of behavior. By jumping between decades, McKay emphasizes how Cheney's core strategies for acquiring and exercising power remained remarkably consistent, adapting to different political climates. This temporal fluidity allows the film to argue that Cheney’s impact was not the result of a series of isolated incidents but a sustained, deliberate application of a particular political philosophy over many years. The fragmented structure, therefore, becomes a tool for identifying and critiquing this perceived consistency in Cheney's pursuit of power.
Ultimately, the temporal structure of Vice is integral to its critical project. By eschewing a straightforward chronological telling, the film compels the audience to engage with Dick Cheney's life and career not as a settled historical fact, but as a complex, often disturbing, construct. The fragmentation, the meta-commentary, and the thematic resonance across time all work in concert to question the very nature of power and its influence on historical narratives. McKay uses temporal dislocation to disorient and provoke, forcing viewers to confront the uncomfortable ways in which history is made, understood, and remembered, and to consider their own role in that ongoing process.