StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

kapelusznik18 The film "Primary" documents the do or die 1960 Wisconsin Democratic Primary between the up and coming New England "Golden Boy" of the US senate John F. Kennedy against champion of the working man & woman upper mid-west plow boy & pharmacist Hubert Horatio "The Hump" Humphrey in their attempt to be the next president of the USA. The Wisconsin primary being more or less on "The Hump's" home turf in him being from nearby Minnesota it at first look like an uphill climb for the young 42 year old whipper snapper John F. Kennedy but with youth, and most of the ladies in the state, on his side he in the end had no trouble overcoming Humphrey's early lead. That's when the big town & city voters that were mostly populated by the female sex, who outvoted the men by as much as 2 to 1,started to come in Kennedy quickly took the lead and never looked back.As for Humphrey all his efforts to convince the local population that he was, being a former farm boy,the man for them fizzled away as the vote tally started to come in late in the evening. Kennedy also has in his corner his beautiful and classy wife Jakie or Jacqueine compered to Humphrey's plain Jane looking old lady Muriel that cut into his vote of the male population of the state, who were just crazy about Jackie, that in the end did him in and stopped him cold.In the end in a race that was supposed to be neck and neck between Kennedy & Humphrey it soon turned out to by a route for Kennedy in him winning 56% of the vote and leaving Humphrey far behind and crying in his beer. This all but set up Kennedy for his next and most important primary victory in West Virginia where his catholic faith was to be a fatal hindrance to him in the almost 100% Protestant state. But with Kennedy's good looks and the beautiful Jackie by his side as well as his dad's-Popa Joe-money, that he used to pay off the local mine workers to vote for John, it had JFK there like in Wisconsin easily be able to get over the "Hump" and win without as much as breaking a sweat.

SnoopyStyle Filmmaker Robert Drew follows Senators Hubert H. Humphrey and John F. Kennedy as they campaign for the Wisconsin Democratic primary in the wintry start of 1960. There is limited narration. It is a cinema verite documentary. It's a lot of glad handing and chicken dinner speeches. It's the grinding daily political theater. As archival footage, this is fascinating for politics history junkies. The sound can vary in quality. There are glimpses of Jacqueline Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy clan. There is definitely a difference in the two campaigns. While Humphrey talks to reserved farmers, Kennedy is fighting through throngs of excited people. In the end, JFK comes out ahead 2 to 1 on primary night. The last image is a straggling dusty old car with a Humphrey sticker rolling down the road.

John Seal Poor Hubert Humphrey. First he lost to John F. Kennedy. Then he lost to Richard Nixon. And finally, Jimmy Carter called him "Hubert Horatio Hornblower" at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. And that was AFTER he was dead — surely the final indignity. This film examines Humphrey's first presidential run, focusing specifically on the April 1960 Democratic primary in Wisconsin, which threatened to derail JFK's candidacy on the familiar shoals of inexperience, religious prejudice, and lack of interest in agricultural issues. The 1960 campaign marked the birth of the modern era of politics as mass media personality cult, and unfortunately for Humphrey, he couldn't hold a candle to the youthful, handsome, and wealthy Jack Kennedy. As a film, Primary looks ugly and amateurish-but as a document of how the modern political campaign evolved, it's absolutely priceless. Anyone remotely interested in American politics needs to see this film.

rufasff I would jump at the chance to see this one of kind look at AmericanPolitics at the crossroads. Before the media age had turned politicalcampaigns into impersonal commercials, even the stars (in this case,Kennedy and Humphrey) had to go out and press the flesh, hard. While Kennedy is slicker and seems to have the more organizedmachine behind him, he is still a saint of apprachability compared totoday's most folksie candidate. That's just how it was done before T.V.had compleatly eaten us alive. Some of the stuff with the affable, tireless Humphrey isparticuairly memorable. Speaking to a bunch of stone faced WisconsonFarmers, his giddy style takes on a real comic poniency, he's like acomic trying to loosen up Ed Gein. Yet, you get from both candidates, yes, corny as it may sound,they actually give a curse about the people they are talking to. If youthink that has all but vanished, as I do, you may find this film asstriking as I do. Some of the camera crew went on to "Don't Look Back"and "Gimmie Shelter". 8 out of 10.