I didn't exactly watch a documentary a day, but it was pretty close. That's not a bad thing, but by yesterday I was feeling educated, but also really serious. I watched two Academy Award winners, two nominees, and one that was neither, but I still recommend it. So, let the reviews begin (you're on your own for the drum roll).
8/24/13 The Times of Harvey Milk, Best Documentary, 1984
I probably should have timed watching this documentary better, maybe with marriage equality day here in Minnesota, which was August 1, but I just don't plan everything so well. Seeing The Times of Harvey Milk almost 30 years after it was released is a real trip back in time for gay and lesbian rights. Thirty years ago it was considered a major milestone for a member of the GLBT community to get elected to the Board of Supervisors of a major American city, when gays and lesbians were part of the fringe of the American quilt, and today, twelve states in America recognize gay marriage. Harvey Milk played a huge role in laying the foundation for this evolution. The documentary traces the beginning of Harvey's political activism, and his huge personality, and how he won over tough union members with his ability to get things done. They may have been skeptical at first, but he seems like he was hard not to like. I remember when Milk was assassinated, but I was too young to understand what had happened and the implications, but the movie fills in those blanks nicely. Milk (2008) was a dramatized version of The Times of Harvey Milk with more details fleshed out. Sean Penn won for Best Actor and Dustin Black won for Best Original Screenplay. Penn really seemed to embody Milk's persona and the movie was almost as powerful as the documentary (maybe more because of the dramatic element). The GLBT community of the 21st century stands on the shoulders of Harvey Milk and other activists from that era and that's just one reason to watch the documentary.
8/30/13 Broken Rainbow, Best Documentary, 1985
Admittedly growing up in Cleveland, I had very little contact with or understanding of Indians or Native Americans, except what I learned in school, and now, living in Minnesota, land of the Sioux and Chippewa, I am still woefully ignorant, although a little less so, and am interested in learning more. The history of conflict and mistreatment and rationalizations are too complex and beyond my scope and knowledge to explain here, and I'm not going to try. For a very brief glimpse into that history, I recommend The Broken Rainbow. I found it enlightening, heartbreaking and infuriating. The Broken Rainbow focuses on the Navajo and Hopi Indians in the Southwestern United States and their fight against forced relocation. The relocation was due purely and simply to the government's and a few big businesses's desire to access minerals, coal and gas from the traditional homelands of the Navajo and the Hopi. The movie interviews elders from the tribe as they describe their lifestyle as sheep herders and keepers of traditions and of Mother Earth, children and young people, as well as attorneys for the tribes and even a politician. It sounds kind of New Age-y, and it might make me seem like some tree hugger, but I do believe there is something to be said for treating this planet with respect and maintaining a balance, but hey, there's always Mars; let's go screw up that planet too. Several of the elders also talk about the many broken treaties between the tribes and the government, and that too is just disgusting. Manifest destiny has a dark side, and this is one view of it. Coincidentally, a friend and I will be going to see The Indigo Girls next Saturday and Winona LaDuke will be there (she was in the film and continues her activist work).
8/31/13 Which Way Home and Food, Inc., Nominees for Best Documentary, 2009
Which Way Home follows several kids from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico as they try to get into the United States. This is certainly a different take on the illegal alien situation in the US and for me, it raised a lot more questions than it answers (which can be a healthy and intellectual thing). When the filmmakers talk to the kids and ask them why they are coming to US, the answer is almost always the same: to find a better life so they can help out their families and maybe find a parent who is already in America. Isn't that the American dream? How many immigrants to the US over the last 300 years came here to help there families and improve their lot in life? Many of those immigrants, and these are no different, face a multitude of dangers; 200 years ago it may have been rough seas, pirates, indentured servitude, not understanding the language; for these kids, some of whom were as young as 9, they face hunger, jumping on freight trains and hoping not to fall off and lose life and limb, or sexual assault. I may seem like a crazy free spirit, but when it comes to managing risk, there are things I would not consider, like riding on the top of a freight train, but for these kids, this is their chance for a better life and they are willing to risk it. Some naively hope to get adopted when they make it to America. I wish there would have been a little more brought to light about why these kids are running away; maybe it seems so obvious, and it's obliquely referenced, but I want more. It's clear there is a lot of poverty in these countries, at least in the towns or villages where the kids are from, and some of the mothers struggle with their children and their new husbands who don't like the kids, but is this so pervasive that hundreds of thousands of kids make this trek every year? Are the governments doing anything to address the poverty, or is corruption the word of the day? Maybe that's a totally different film. This is worth a watch, it's not very long, because it shows another facet to the immigration question.
I was prepared right from the beginning to be irritated with this movie and to dismiss its premise right away as fear mongering (this may have been due to movie overload), but Food, Inc. held my interest and has made me think about how those chicken tenders get on my plate. Food, Inc. shines a big ugly light on agribusiness and the effects on family farms as well as on consumers. There are only a few players at the highest level and they seem to call the shots, some people are even afraid to speak on camera because they fear the repercussions. They also showcase a smaller farmer who raises grass-fed cattle and has free-range animals. Living out here in the beef and pork belt, I'm somewhat of an anomaly because I eat neither, and it's really not a political statement, more of an 'ew, I don't like it' deal, but after this movie, I'm ready to make it a political statement. It's abominable the conditions under which these animals live; these are sentient beings, they deserve better treatment. You should probably make up your own mind, and it can be lonely up on the soapbox, but, seriously, these cows and chickens and pigs should be more than a means to an end. I know the focus of the movie was the industrialization of the livestock business, but I think it would have been interesting to bring in Temple Grandin and hear her perspective (it probably would not have gone with the flow of the film, so if you are interested, you should check her out and read her books, or better, see her live if she comes to your city). For my part, I am going to take a bigger interest in my food and where it comes from, and try to buy local when possible.
Both of these movies were beat out for the Oscar by The Cove which focused on the dolphins that are killed in Japan. It was very well done, very intense, and humans (at least Americans) seem to have this incredible connection with dolphins, maybe it's because of their playfulness and what seems to be their 'smile'. There were shocking and disturbing scenes in The Cove and that may have been the push the judges were looking for in the selection. All three of these movies, and Burma VJ, which is about video journalists in Burma, which until very recently, was very isolated from the rest of the world, are worth watching. I have not yet seen The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.
West of Memphis was not nominated for anything, but I wanted to mention it anyway because it covers the topic of The West Memphis 3 who were the subject of a trilogy of documentaries, one of which was nominated in 2011 for Best Documentary, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. West of Memphis gives a recap of the events leading up to the imprisonment of Echols, Baldwin and Misskelly, but the real focus is the investigation launched by Peter Jackson (yes, Peter Jackson of the LOTR trilogy) and Fran Walsh to find new evidence in the case. If this wasn't a true story, it would make a great detective movie. It seems pretty clear that some people had their minds made up and nothing would change it, but for others, it was clearly a revelation. If you don't want to watch the trilogy, but are interested in this story, you should see this movie.
8/29/13, Ted, nominee for Best Song, 2012
I'll make this brief, briefer than the movie, that's for sure. There was no way this song, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" was going to beat Adele and "Skyfall". As for the movie, I'm fairly certain that I was not the target demographic because I did not think it was one of the funniest movies of all time. But, it's off of my list, and I will move on with my life.
It's Labor Day weekend here in the US, which means four days off for me, and probably several more movies. It's also the time to remember that a lot of hardworking men and women helped build this country.
