Iron Jawed Angels (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 2004 HBO movie depicts the struggles of the early suffragette movement, which eventually gave women in the United States the right to vote. Spanning the years from 1912 to 1920, it stars Hilary Swank as Alice Paul who led the fight with ultimate courage. There's some interesting history of which I was unaware. And the filmmakers seem to get the theme across. At the time, it was a state-by-state decision as to whether or not women could vote. But Alice Paul wanted to make it a constitutional amendment. There is, of course, is in-fighting in the movement itself with the old factions, led by Anjelica Huston, as Carrie Chapman Catt, preferring to not make a fuss and quietly let each state decide. Alice Paul, however, confronted the establishment head on and brought down some dour consequences on herself and the group of women who followed her lead.
At first I was annoyed at the film. I felt their wardrobes too lavish and the potential romance between Alice and a Washington Post cartoonist was silly. I also thought the women seemed a bit too modern and politically correct. And, frankly, I thought of turning off my DVD and never reviewing this film.
But then there was a scene in which the police turned their backs on protecting a festive parade in which women and children were demonstrating. When the mobs attacked the women I felt real tears dripping down my face. And then, later, when the women were horribly mistreated in prison, I found myself crying again, especially when they force-fed Alice Paul and we see them pushing tubes down her throat and through her nose. By the end of the film I understood exactly what these brave women had gone through in order to give me a privilege that I take for granted. I also know that I have learned a new appreciation for my right to vote and will never take that right for granted again.
While not perfect, I applaud this film. It brought me a new understanding. It will bring it to you too. Recommended.

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Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars in a fresh and contemporary look at a pivotal event in American history, telling the true story of how a pair of defiant and brilliant young activists took the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:With Director Katja von Garnier and writer Sally RobinsonFeaturetteOther:HBO Films Spot

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The Tillman Story (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Tillman Story" is a powerful, hard-hitting documentary about the most famous enlistee in the U.S. armed forces following the Nine-Eleven attacks, Pat Tillman. He was a famous NFL football player. The Bush administration realized the publicity value of this celebrity. He and his brother enlisted together, and his reasons for signing up were really not made clear until this film. He and his brother served a term in Iraq and then went on for duty in Afghanistan. He was a bright, thoughtful young man who read some anti-war stuff by people like Noam Chomsky. He was killed in action in Afghhanistan and was awarded the Silver Star for heroism.
When he first died there was a great deal of ceremony regarding his heroic death. At one ceremony John McCain spoke. Then information began to leak out. His death was not by enemy fire but by friendly fire. This film was the first time I have ever heard such incidents referred to as fratricide. That's a very strong, loaded term.
In this film there are many interviews. Particularly effective are the ones by the mother, father and brother. The mother particularly demanded the truth and she was persistent and systematic in her pursuit of the truth. The military amd the highest levels of government were in on the lie about Pat's death. They knew that the cause was not enemy fire.
The mother at first believed that in the heat of battle, Pat's fellow soldiers shot indiscriminately out of fear and because they felt in great danger. The government investigated the case and reluctantly provided the family with a box of thousands of pages of evidentiary documents. One observer said they hoped to swamp the family with paper work which incidentally had all names redacted. The mother learned that Pat's fellow soldiers might have fired because they wanted to be in the action, to experience the exhilaration of combat.
The father was a lawyer who knew how to sift through the material. Eventually all of the family pressure resulted in a Congressional hearing where the top generals and former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld appeared. All of them denied knowledge and culpability. The administration had used Pat's death as a propaganda tool to boost the public's faith in the war effort.
This film is devastating in its revelations and has an important message for everyone. Nations often manipulate the news for their own purposes. Pat Tillman is still a hero and great patriot, and his family are also heroes and patriots.

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Pat tillman decided to leave a multimillion-dollar professional football contract & join the military because he felt it was the right thing to do. When he died in a friendly-fire incident in afghanistan in 2004 the military is shown to have manipulated his tragic death into a glorifying propoganda tool.Studio: Sony Pictures Home EntRelease Date: 02/01/2011Run time: 95 minutesRating: R

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