The overdue reviews of two DVDs sent to me by Spout:
"Out of Balance" and "Africa Unite."
At a recent film screening I attended, an audience questioned the cast and crew, "Was that a movie or a message?"
The surprisingly appropriate reply from an actor was, "What is a movie BUT a message?" In recent years, we have seen the venues for self-expression blossom, and among the various clutter out there, determined people with a message have found ways to break through. Two documentaries I viewed rely to some extent on the portable camera to collect material for their stories.
The first of these is "Out of Balance," subtitled as "ExxonMobil's Impact on Climate Change." Writer/Director/Narrator Tom Jackson takes viewers through the basics of climate science and global warming before moving on to the corporate actions of ExxonMobil to vaunt public image and profits over public responsibility. The documentary relies on the modern approach epitomized by the works of Michael Moore, with the documentarian taking a central role in the proceedings and linking his personal story to a larger issue. Unlike Michael Moore, however, Jackson hasn't succeeded in developing a structure that engages the viewer's emotions. Outside of the open and close, the bulk of the film is a standard talking-head/fact-and-figure affair, admittedly with a strong roster of participants.
What I appreciated about this doc was the early section that addresses the studies and data that lead to scientists' conclusions about global warming. This part does succeed in making the material accessible. The rest of the film unfortunately couldn't maintain my attention. When judging a documentary, I struggle with the question of how much my personal opinions of the subject should play into my critique. I'd hate to discourage people who have good ideas, but I am also offended by the idea of giving a pass on shoddy work because it means well. Ultimately, I believe a political documentary should strive to engage viewers who hold opposing viewpoints, and to reach those people, facts, figures and style must be extremely well thought out. This is not to say a film can't be partisan, but a conscious choice to do this suggests a filmmaker knows he is likely to be criticized and should be prepared. Unfortunately, "Out of Balance" just barely rises above the norm for the grassroots political docs exemplified by Robert Greenwald's "Outfoxed" and "Uncovered: The War on Iraq." Most of the auxiliary graphics are extremely basic and illustrations are poorly integrated with the interviews. In the end, "Out of Balance" is just average, and therefore probably will only reach sympathetic audiences.
A slightly better example of documentary is "Africa Unite," billed as "A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision." At first glance, this appeared to be a record of a 2005 concert that both commemorated Bob Marley's 60th birthday and encouraged the uniting of the African nations. The film actually succeeds, oddly enough, by relegating the concert to a lower priority in the mix.
Early on, "Africa Unite" follows several delegates and attendees that made their way to Ethiopia for a conference on African unity. As the film slides sideways into the issue, it becomes a compelling chronicle on the history of Rastafari, the movement made famous worldwide by Bob Marley. While not explicitly a Rasta documentary, "Africa Unite" operates from the viewpoint of the Rastas, who believe in the divinity of Haile Selassie, former ruler of Ethiopia, as he was the sole native ruler on a continent that had fallen prey to European colonialism. The film's view of Ethiopia is reverential, dwelling on the spiritual significance of the country and some locations within. These angles are most compellingly personified in a 70 year-old named Bongo Tawney, who makes his way to the celebration from Jamaica. The filmmaker also makes clear the connections between Selassie and the political content in Bob Marley's music. In possibly the best sequence, we see how a speech by Selassie inspired one of Marley's most famous songs, seamlessly transitioning to the contemporary concert where one of Marley's sons continues the performance.
In the quest for the positive message, "Africa Unite" tends to ignore the unrest that pervades many parts of the continent. In a way, I can't blame the film, because ultimately, the people who travelled to Ethiopia - itself an unstable country - came to honestly seek answers and guidance on how to be good neighbors. The goal is not to convince the uncertain or profile the hurdles the activists face. The film is about the vision.
The vision is persuasive, but unfortunately, not all elements of "Africa Unite" are working together positively. Several different types of cameras captured the modern-day footage of the events, and occasionally this clash is incredibly distracting. Adding to the disconnect are many handheld shots that indicate a complete lack of skill on the behalf of the camera operator. Many of the decent shots are marred by a horrible strobe-like effect that makes movements blurry and jumpy. This is something that should simply never be applied to handheld footage. The effect continues in many of the concert scenes, exaggerated by scattershot cutting. At one point, I felt sorry for UN Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover being shot handheld, in profile, with a strobe effect applied. To make matters worse, a flickering lightbulb could be seen over his shoulder. His family probably has home movies that blow this away.
Being someone who doesn't really get into reggae music or Bob Marley, I have to admit that I found "Africa Unite" more interesting than expected. This is probably due to the fact that there is more political content than musical content. For those disappointed by hearing this, the screener DVD promises the regular version will include 45 minutes of the concert as a bonus. But I also warn anyone looking for a cogent analysis of the political environment in Africa. It's only alluded to occasionally here. The message, you see, is hope.