When you watch a documentary you have to realize that the
film maker behind the movie you are watching will almost always have an opinion
on his subject matter far in advance of his making the movie. It is the rare
occasion where this isn’t true and perhaps the only type of film that comes
close are true cinema verite films where the camera merely follows the
inhabitants of the story that evolves in front of you. The majority of
documentary films being made these days revolve around politics and those on both
sides of the political spectrum come to the table with their own agendas well
in hand.
What makes many of these interesting once they arrive is
that few these days seem to fact check the information they offer or
selectively edit out what they know will harm the basis of their film. Michael
Moore is notorious for doing this going so far as to create scenes in his films
and then trying to pretend they just happened. Sadly, and some may argue this,
the majority of documentary films these days are made by those who have a left
leaning ideology which means that a balanced number of films are not being
made. On top of that a number of these films are demolished once released when
fact checking them shows the faults in their reportage. With everyone having easy
access to finding answers behind the lies online it makes the film makers seem
either lazy or just propagandists.
As HATING OBAMA opens it seems as if that might be the case
here. It begins by asking the question “Do people hate President Obama because
of his policies or because he is black?” Within the first 20 minutes of this
already short film we are presented with people talking about President Obama
and praising everything he does. Those filmed include activists and actors,
playwrights and street people. None of them will be names you will recognize.
Even radio talk show hosts being talked to are regional at best and unknown to
me; perhaps others will recognize them.
Included in that time we are also presented with images of
blacks in this country being hosed, beaten, having dogs unleashed on them,
being subjected to the most hateful signs and images KKK rallies. But it
doesn’t take long to notice that all of these negative images are not current
at all. Almost all of them come from the 60s, over 50 years ago. While talking
about the amount of racism in this country those who feel it exists in the most
extreme measure seem to think the U.S. today hasn’t changed over those 50
years. If that were the case wouldn’t we have more current footage that could
be used, especially with the 24 hour news cycles stations in existence today?
And if it were true then how was it that a black man was elected to the highest
office in the country to begin with?
I was about to give up on the film when things began to change.
Suddenly there were black commentators, authors and preachers who were talking
about the subject at hand. These were not white politicians or liberals
claiming that they felt guilty about white privilege, these were black
individuals who were talking about the current President and how unhappy they
were with him. The chance of claiming their views were based on racism was an
impossible task. But through their being included in the discussion it
demonstrated that the film maker here wasn’t trying to present only one side of
the coin. He was indeed trying to discuss the topic in question with an even
hand.
Even more surprising to me was that those who were
presenting arguments against the President did so in a way that discussed his
policies and politics rather than simply claiming he was wrong. They discussed
verifiable facts that could be researched once the film was over. They talked
about how he was elected as someone who would represent the black cause in this
country but who has used policies that have actually harmed the black community
instead, things like the fact that the unemployment level for blacks in this
country has risen since he took office rather than decline.
On the other hand those who support the President are
surprising as well. Their reasons for thinking his policies have worked revolve
around two things. The first is that they personally have received a benefit
from his policies, such as the lady who says she now has insurance and visits
the doctor once a month now. I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t really
know anyone who makes monthly doctor appointments no matter how great their
insurance is. The second supporters are those who think he is wonderful for no
reason other than that he is black. They don’t care about his policies, what he
accomplishes or harms or anything other than the fact that he is black. Would
this not constitute reverse racism? I don’t know but it seems like it might.
By the end of the film I have little doubt that anyone
watching will probably not be swayed one way or the other. If you walk in
thinking there is nothing wrong with this President then you will ignore those
people talking about why they disagree with his policies. If you don’t like his
policies you will agree with the statement one man who ran for office makes
that he won’t be stopped because the minute you disagree with anything he says
you are immediately proclaimed to be a racist. Perhaps the most telling
interview in the film comes from a patron of a salon who praises him, talks about
the wonderful things she and her friends now have and when it comes to anyone
who disagrees with his policies then “…f**k them!” Hardly a well thought out
argument but one that many use when their only reason is what they can get from
someone.
The movie is interesting as it progresses and the arguments
on both sides are telling by what they say and how those making statements view
things. While I have little doubt in my mind that there are pockets of racism
remaining in this country today it is nowhere near what it was in the 50s, 60s
and before. As long as those who argue against racism in this country try to
paint it that way their voices are likely to go unheard except by those they
wish to foment into riotous masses. Those willing to have a civil discussion on
the topic are more likely to be part of not only the discussion but the
solution.
The film maker behind this film, Marquis Smalls, should be
given credit for tackling a serious topic and bringing both sides of the issue
to the forefront. While the film begins one way it ends by offering both sides
of the issue, leaving the viewer to consider everything they’ve heard and seen
in the past 107 minutes. That’s what a documentary film maker should aspire to,
presenting the entire spectrum of the issue they choose to make a movie about.
Michael Moore, who’s been around long enough to know better, would do well to
take lessons from Mr. Smalls.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment