The Big Scary S Word - Documentary Review Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2021
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Thu 01 Jul 2021 - Sat 31 Jul 2021
The Big Scary S Word - Documentary Review (Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2021)
Documentaries tend to be my go-to watching choice. I have a large collection of them on DVD, but as I get older, I tend to be more choosey about the topics I will watch. I don't want to be depressed by things I cannot change, and I have come to realise that documentaries are generally made in order to put forth a specific agenda.
Recently I looked at a documentary
about chess-boxing and then this came onto my radar:
**
The Big Scary "S" Word (2021)
Directed by Yael Bridge
Produced by Yael Bridge, Morgan Spector, & Eden Wurmfeld (Co-Producer: Sasha Leitmann)
82 min**
I was offered a chance to watch this film from the encore season of the
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and opted to take up the offer because I really do not understand how Socialism works and, with my own politics leaning to the left, I wanted to understand. Now, this focuses almost completely on the concept of Socialism as it is in the United States, which is a proudly Capitalist country, and I think that looks different to the Australian experience, but it is still worth watching to get a general understanding and overview.
I should say, that to me Socialism was a word that made little sense. After all, the Nazis in World War 2 called themselves Socialist, but that was a means of getting the people to support them, because what they espoused, in the end, was anything but Socialism. I guess it's like in the modern world North Korea calling itself 'Democratic'. I thought it was a form of Communism, and so this was going to be an education.
The history was stunning. American Capitalism was built on the backs of slaves, on inequality from the start. Modern Capitalists (who are not interviewed in the film) talk about everyone having the chance to rise up, but this documentary makes it clear that, from the word go, that was never the case. And then came the first shock to me – the Republican Party was founded on Socialist ideals. Yes, the party that is seen to promote a racist, anti-welfare platform was a Socialist organisation.
The documentary did focus some time on how Capitalism has failed too many people – teachers forced to buy their own supplies, the super-rich owning way too much, whole towns brought to their knees (like Detroit). It was also pointed out that the political process does not allow for people in lower socio-economic situations to be a member of it.
One Democratic politician (Lee Carter) made the point that he was born in 1987 and so Socialism does not mean the Cold War, Stalin, Mao, et al. to him; he doesn't even remember the Berlin Wall falling (now I feel old). Socialism does not have the same connotations for younger generations. Unions and what they are trying to do against the odds in the USA is also brought up. We also see some socialism-based businesses and look at the fact the world has been forced by billionaires to rely on fossil fuels, and that Capitalism has no way to respond to Climate Change.
There was a lot less Bernie Sanders than I was expecting as well.
These stories are carried through the documentary. And I did find it interesting. However, it was a dry presentation. Even the animations and archival footage and photographs, which made for a nice break from talking heads, were just there. This is more a documentary to listen to, because the presentation is not inspiring.
I would have made one change – I would have brought in one, just one, comedian or celebrity with an easy-going demeanour who is already known to be on the Socialist side of politics, to do some segues. In the documentary
Damned In The USA (1992) (which I liked, though many American commentators did not) about censorship in America (and there is a lot), comedian Jimmy Tingle was the tie, and his observations related to the documentary, were funny yet insightful and helped make what was a depressing topic easier to watch.
If you are already leaning to the left side of politics, this will reinforce your beliefs nicely. If you are to the right, this will not change your mind. However, if you are centrist, then maybe this will make you look at the left with a little more compassion and a little less mistrust.
I would like to indicate and explain how this relates to me, as a middle-class Australian, but then I risk going on a political polemic and that is not the idea of this column. It does seem that in some ways the right-leaning political parties are trying to emulate the USA Capitalist system, but Australians have a greater sense of egalitarianism that I hope will prevent what was demonstrated in this ultimately depressing documentary. Depressing? "
You care about poor people and people call you Communist." (Tom, the legislative assistant to politician Lee Carter) Yes – depressing. And yet it gave us a feel-good ending that maybe –
maybe – change is happening.
The Big Scary "S" Word paints a rather unflattering picture of the USA as it stands today, and does portray a form of Socialism as the best hope that country has to make changes that will benefit all people. So, yes, this documentary is biased (as 99% of them are), but it does put forward its points well without denigrating the opposition relentlessly.
This is an interesting documentary, yes, but it is dry and I can see it not appealing to all audiences.
Now showing at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.
Website:
socialismmovie.com
Facebook: @socialismmovie
Twitter: @socialismmovie
Instagram: @socialismmovie
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!date 01/07/2021 -- 31/07/2021
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212320 - 2023-06-16 06:44:34