A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant
November 12th, 2025
MOVIE: A SAVAGE ART: THE LIFE & CARTOONS OF PAT OLIPHANT
STARRING: PAT OLIPHANT
DIRECTED BY: BILL BANOWSKY
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 88 MINUTES
The life of a political cartoonist is a fascinating one to capture—not just because the art form has a unique approach or a constant sense of urgency beneath it, but because it challenges the very idea of what a cartoonist is capable of. Pat Oliphant was a cartoonist through the terms of ten U.S. presidents, each subject receiving his sharp attention. His work stood out not only for its artistic quality, but because a single Oliphant cartoon often said more than an entire front-page story. A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant captures what made the artist singular—the importance of his messages, and the urgent need for political cartoonists now more than ever.
Oddly enough, Pat Oliphant was not born in the United States but in Australia, and didn’t arrive in America until his early twenties. Once he did, however, he quickly impressed editors with his portfolio, earning a position at The Denver Post. From there, his career took off. Oliphant was never afraid to call out a sitting president, starting with Lyndon B. Johnson and continuing through Donald Trump. His artwork was worthy of praise, but it was the ferocity behind each pen stroke—the subtle and not-so-subtle commentary on the times—that made it unforgettable. His work became syndicated in the Los Angeles Times, reaching a national audience, and eventually earning him the Pulitzer Prize for a cartoon he himself didn’t think deserved it.
Director Bill Banowsky examines all sides of Oliphant’s life. The film shows that Oliphant wasn’t just great at his job—he was consumed by it. Banowsky isn’t afraid to explore the personal cost of that obsession, including the disintegration of Oliphant’s marriage, his absence as a father to three children, and the regrets that surfaced after retirement. These moments are woven among a steady stream of cartoons tackling the AIDS crisis, the Iraq War, Bill Clinton’s scandals, and the global climate emergency.
While the documentary can at times feel a bit repetitive, A Savage Art still delivers powerful moments on the importance of journalism and its slow decline. Banowsky highlights the disappearance of newspapers, the fading of political cartoon sections, and the silencing of critical voices by authoritarian leaders. It’s impossible not to see Oliphant’s work as the gold standard for freedom of speech and the use of satire to challenge power. If neutrality was the goal of a political cartoonist, Oliphant mastered it—and any censorship of the art form is a direct challenge to the First Amendment. His messages were always loud, clear, and courageous.
A Savage Art is a documentary that mature audiences, journalism students, and historians will deeply appreciate. A brief segment comparing “political memes” to traditional cartoons underscores how little impact the former truly have. Though the documentary’s structure can feel like a slideshow at times, it ultimately becomes a vivid timeline of one man’s life told through the force of his art. That man just happens to be one of the greatest political cartoonists of all time. His mark is indelible. The world needs more voices like his—and now, you’ll always recognize the work of Pat Oliphant. Art, as this film proves, can be louder than bombs.
3 STARS
A SAVAGE ART: THE LIFE & CARTOONS OF PAT OLIPHANT IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS ACROSS THE U.S.
UPCOMING SCREENINGS: NOVEMBER 16TH AT THE MICHIGAN THEATER IN ANN ARBOR
Written by: Leo Brady
