This is one of the best films to come out this year. In a fairly disappointing theatrical year, it takes HBO to make something important and put it on TV. This is director Spike Lee’s best film in 14 years.
Lee took his cameras to New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina to chronicle what happened and what caused the worst civil engineering failure in U.S. history. He interviews dozens of people from all walks of life and color who live and work in New Orleans. In addition, he brings in experts to comment on the disaster as well as politicians and news reporters that covered the storm.
The most amazing thing we learn is how many people who lived there differ somewhat on their opinions, but for the most part they all agree that they were grossly let down by the governments that are supposed to protect them. For the most part, Lee uses talking head interviews of his various subjects, but weaves them together with news footage, creating one of the most compelling documentaries I’ve ever seen.
Does Lee have an agenda? Most certainly. He wants us to not forget what happened. He wants us to get angry at what did happen. Yet, this is not a slanted Michael Moore doc. Lee doesn’t just point blame at one place. He finds the fault and success in the government response on the local, state and federal level. However, he is most critical of the federal government. He presents a compelling argument that they just didn’t care enough. They were asleep at their post and it’s criminal.
You cannot watch this film and not be moved and angered. The ordeal these people went through is staggering. However, the worst part was all the uncertainty. Another remarkable thing Lee does is explain how certain sentiments are formed. Some people believed that the levees were bombed by the government. Lee addresses the issue with experts who don’t believe the conspiracy theory. However, Lee doesn’t stop there — he takes us back to the ‘20s when the government did dynamite the levees and flood the Lower 9th Ward. He shows us how past wrongs still influence people’s trust of their government. When you see the images of the people suffering, you will know that these misgivings are not going to change anytime soon.
The four acts of the film consist of the storm, the rescue, the aftermath and what is being done to rebuild New Orleans. As the saying goes, follow the money. Lee shows how many of the problems stem from under-funding. A small country like the Netherlands can have a high-tech levee system to protect its citizens, but it seems that the U.S. government can’t find anything outside of Lincoln Logs to fix the levees in New Orleans. This is not just a great film, but an important one as well. Everyone needs to see it. This is why you order HBO. If you miss the reruns, check to see if you have HBO On-Demand in your area. When it comes on DVD, buy it. This gets my highest recommendation.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
