Rats in the Ranks
1996movie
In fly-on-the-wall style, Rats in the Ranks exposes the machinations behind the political process as Leichhardt Mayor Larry Hand tries to get the numbers to win his fourth term as mayor. As the main character, Hand is driven, charismatic and determined to keep his mayoral robes. The real ‘rats’ however are members of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) caucus who are in conflict. They can’t decide on who should be the candidate to go up against Hand. If they can agree, they have the numbers to defeat him.
A fascinating examination of politics in action, Rats in the Ranks doesn’t just peek behind the curtain to take a glimpse behind the scenes of a local mayoral election, it pulls it completely off the rails. The sheer hubris of the subjects paves the way for a gob-smacking level of insight into the wheelings and that a career in politics consists of. An eye-opening documentary and essential viewing for anyone with a passing interest in governmental affairs.
