Mailer,norman / The American

Bearing the scars of a life marked by violence and controversy, author Norman Mailer became uniquely positioned to speak out on matters of societal importance. This documentary takes the measure of Mailer's turbulent life, attention-getting prose, and outsized personality, reviewing the signature events of his life and his contributions to the literature of the Apollo 11 launch, the Kennedy assassination, Muhammad Ali's "Rumble in the Jungle," and more; also features revealing interviews with family and friends. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.