Those wondering how a country in the middle of two separate half-decade-long wars and an economy teetering on the edge of total collapse could, a couple weeks ago, find the news cycle surrounding its impending presidential election hijacked for two-plus days by talk about lipstick on a pig will find unnerving answer in this engrossing, timely, clear-eyed documentary about the late Lee Atwater, the grandfather of modern-day political dirty tricks. A silver-tongued rogue known for his affinity for blues music as well as cutthroat, win-at-all-costs maneuvering, Atwater, more than any single politician, pioneered the art of hard-knuckle campaigning, gleefully turning elections into a series of empty tabloid moments and coded-language, race-baiting entreaties (see: Willie Horton) even as his personal charm largely anesthetized people to his tactics.

Director Stefan Forbes wisely eschews the cinematic rudder of narration, instead intercutting archival footage and perspicacious interviews with friends, journalists and party wonks of all political persuasions, including Terry McAuliffe, Ed Rollins, Tucker Eskew, Mary Matalin and Sam Donaldson. There’s even footage — somewhat poignant or sadsack, depending on your point-of-view — of ex-Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, torpedoed by Atwater’s Horton ad, padding around his modest brownstone and fixing himself breakfast, speaking in rueful, begrudging admiration for the man who brought down his political career, but half-joking, darkly, “If I’d taken care of the father, we wouldn’t have heard from the son.”

The resulting full-bodied portrait is pulse-quickening, wry and frequently upsetting, but never less than unswervingly fair-minded, letting viewers sort out the many contradictions surrounding this small town South Carolina boy turned king-maker. One thing, though, is certain. Despite Atwater being felled by a brain tumor at 40 years old — and allegedly renouncing many of incendiary methods in his last days — the long shadow of his influence can be seen in the uninterrupted chain of Republican presidential string-pullers: Atwater, who got Bush 41 elected as his campaign chairman and once described the current president as his “number one soulmate,” mentored Karl Rove, who in turn mentored current McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt. Cue the Shirley Bassey… (InterPositive Media, unrated, 87 minutes)