WEATHER UNDERGROUND (2002)

In the 1960s the Vietnam War began for the Americans to which Daniel Ellsworth once quote in the documentary Hearts and Minds (1974), "We weren't on the wrong side -- we were the wrong side."  Simultaneously with the Vietnam War civil injustice was common in the United States where people were struggling for equal rights for African-Americans in the United States.   This in the backdrop nuclear war threat instigated by a government that was dealing with real threats such as the Cuba Crisis.  The assassinations of Martin Luther King, the Kennedy's, Malcom X, Fred Hampton, and others seemed to have left a deep psychological scar in many young Americans as they decided to stand up and voice their opinion against the violence and exploitation in the world.  One of these organizations were Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which organized rallies against the war in Vietnam and social injustice in the society, as they promoted peace and democracy.

SDS was run by college students that wanted to make a change in the society for the better, and within the the organization a number of members had more radical ideas of how this would be accomplished.  These members where a part of the internal group, Weather Underground, a name they acquired  from Bob Dylan's song Subterranean Homesick Blues where on line goes as this -- "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."  The Weather Underground seized the power of the SDS in 1969 at the national convention in Chicago.  The founder of SDS, Todd Gitlin, described it as, "Institutional piracy."

The radical notions that were brought to the table by the Weather Underground was based on the little progress they have observed.  Thus, the Weather Underground decided to take actions into their own hands as they began to organize for a revolution, which they believed was needed to bring about a change.  Much of the Weather Underground's activities were considered terrorism, as they promoted active violence against the government.  However, after an incident where an innocent person was killed the group sat down and discussed the philosophy of the Weather Underground.  The conclusion was that no more lives was to be taken, and that extra precautions was to be taken in order the death of people.

Throughout the 1970s the Weather Underground committed several bombings in regards to acts they considered criminal and unjust.  They had to cut their ties with their families in order to avoid arrest by the FBI.  The FBI did everything possible in order to seek and destroy this organization, but without any luck.  When the Vietnam War ended in 1975 the Weather Underground fell into the shadows of history, and as the members grew older and began to build families a life on the run became difficult.  This led to most of the members turning themselves into the authorities, and what is interesting is that most members of the Weather Underground were released as the FBI had broken several laws in their attempts to arrest them.

Through the many interviews in the film the audience can learn that the former members of the Weather Underground are still passionate about their political views.  They believed what they did was for a just cause in a time of great difficulty and they do not regret their accomplishments.  However, in retrospect they wish they could have made some things a differently as wisdom have caught up with them.

DIRECTED BY

Sam Green
Bill Siegel

COUNTRY

USA

REVIEWED
1/29/2005
GRADE


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