Born in Flames

An interesting and timely movie for 2019. I found it particularly interesting that the writers of this movie, in 1981, we able to craft dialogue for the "Men's movement" that is exactly what the alt-right men of today are spouting.

Made over six years between 1977-83, this film reminded me strongly of the films labelled the No Wave. These were underground lo-fi movies made primarily in New York in the late 70's / early 80's. They often had political messages and were uncompromisingly uncommercial. I'm not sure but I would think that Lizzie Borden's feature Born in Flames must surely qualify as one, as this is a wilfully challenging and direct bit of underground cinema which is a rallying cry to women generally. It has a sci-fi premise. In the near future, America is celebrating the tenth anniversary of a socialist revolution but despite this, many issues remain the same, such as racism, homophobia and sexism. A militant group called the Women's Army have been formed, they take direct action to fight for women's rights. Their leader is arrested for a minor offense and mysteriously dies in custody in prison, leading to further revolution.

I'll come out and admit it straight away that I didn't fully enjoy this one. Not on ideological grounds but merely because I did not find the film fully engaging due to its fragmented experimental presentation. Having said that, I do respect what it was doing and it does have an unmistakable energy to it which I found interesting. It's clearly low-budget as underground films always are but it definitely has ambition for sure. It takes the form of a pseudo-documentary and mixes in some real news footage in with staged material. The actors are all amateur but this does ensure the feel remains more radical and less watered down. It focuses on feminist politics primarily and it does have to be said that many of the issues discussed still exist today so it does still have a relevance in terms of what it is saying. I also enjoyed the punk soundtrack which had a sort of proto riot grrrl feel to it. So, while I cannot pretend to have fully engaged with this one, I do respect it and admit it has a certain unique feel.

A 1983 release of a future society where women stage a rebellion against the male dominated world they live in. More of an agitprop distillation of a dramatic 'what if' of a time to come w/the immediacy of a found footage documentary/social message screed, finds women fed up w/the status quo focusing on an outspoken gay, black woman who's a DJ who fills her airwaves w/the vitriol & anger (justified since we see men alternately trying to rape their counterparts or dismiss them from the workplace w/o a justified rationale) spurring a movement (the intended rape is thwarted by a phalanx of 10 speed riding Valkyries blowing whistles). When the DJ is arrested (the powers that be fear her power is becoming uncontrollable) she commits suicide in custody which sets the scene for a guerilla movement (replete w/automatic weapons) culminating in the destruction of the transmission antennas on top of the World Trade Center (eerily foreshadowing the '93 & 9/11 attacks). Yes, the film is rough w/all the odd ends kept in for flavor & texture but it touches on so many totems of protest (the metoo movement, Black Lives Matter, et al) one can forgive the unpolished sheen of the presentation. No big stars to remark about but genre fave, the late, great Ron Vawter shows up as a power broker out to derail the outspoken radio DJ, writer/actor Eric Bogosian has a quick scene as a TV tech & character actor Mark Boone Junior pops up as a perv accosting a woman on a train.

Not only have I had the luck to see this movie, I had the privilege of receiving it from "Honey" one of the lead actors. This movie is so important as it brings to life the struggle of not only women who were active in the 70's, but that the issues they brought forth still continue. If one thinks we have come a long way in overcoming gender discrimination, then take a fresh look at this film. I particularly appreciate the feminist analysis that seems to be missing today from women's activism and politics. Every activist ought to view and take heed of this movies message. This film parallels much of the social climate women endure today. It reminds one of the radical ideas that fired the women's movement and how they might be reignited in todays world.It is timeless, yet carries the rawness of movies made in the 70's. I highly recommend this film.

Presented partially as a faux-documentary, Lizzie Borden's rough-around-the-edges but delightfully feminist 'Born In Flames (1983)' imagines a world in which America has become a so-called socialist democracy, ostensibly free of inequality and capitalist tendencies. However, this apparent utopia is far from as perfect as it may first seem; in fact, it isn't so much socialist as it is stagnant, still set up to cater to white, cishet, upper-class men who can use the concept of progress as a way to hinder any further examples of it. Everyone is considered equal by the government, and anyone advocating for their individual rights (or, indeed, the rights of any oppressed groups) are considered separatist. Yet, a unified front only works if it's always marching towards true equality, rather than stalling in a position of only partial equality and declaring it the best place to be, so it's natural for civil unrest and eventual revolution to rear its head. We can only spend so long being told to be grateful for the sacrifices and advancements made by the previous generation while that same generation washes its hands of responsibility and abandons those it supposedly fought so hard for. Something's got to give. It's interesting that the world this depicts isn't the right-wing dystopia most examples of alternate-future media aim to critique (and, indeed, we find ourselves in today), but is instead a world that's technically more fair and just than the one the film itself was made in. This unusual decision is used to keenly examine the idea that what's currently described as left-wing is often more centre-left, that there's always progress to be made and that we shouldn't rest when only some of the injustices of our society have been faced. The fight is never over, society is never perfect, progress is fluid and it needs to be allowed to evolve; standards must be pushed closer and closer to perfection, we mustn't be allowed to become complacent, "good enough" is never good enough. The flick is excellent at focusing on intersectional feminism, focusing on women of different races, classes and sexualities and showcasing how their different goals eventually align so that they can become a united front. It's also great at showing how unrest eventually boils over into revolution, constantly keeping you on the side of its protagonists even as they take up arms against a society that at first seems peaceful. As a film, it is unruly and amateurish in most of its aspects, and yet its framing device of sometimes being a documentary - or, at the very least, being comprised partially of radio broadcasts, televised news reports, and surveillance footage - allows this unprofessionalism (including what seems to be a mostly improvised screenplay, some slightly wonky acting, generally poor audio, and the occasional mistake such as a notably out-of-focus shot) to work in the affair's favour. After a few minutes (which, to be fair, are disorienting), you really start to believe the world which the piece presents, as well as the way in which it presents it. Even the scenes technically not meant to be documentary-style - as evidenced by their cutting format and the fact that no cameras would be allowed where they take place - feel like they're being captured by an in-universe cameraman, further lending the feature a palpable texture that compounds its excellently holistic and believable word building. Though the narrative is a little unwieldy, it replicates the sometimes necessary messiness of stories found during the process of making a non-fiction film, as well as the inherent disorganised beginnings of revolution and protest. Indeed, the feature replicates the way in which its initially disparate efforts of its various characters and groups eventually come together in unified action, becoming more and more focused as it heads towards its ballsy (and sadly rather prescient) conclusion. It's all just really invigorating, a vital and courageous picture with something to say and a novel way in which to say it. It's essentially a call to action, and it feels increasingly relevant today (frankly, the flawed social democracy it depicts feels much more comfortable than the system in which we currently find ourselves). It's a really good movie, if not for its technical and narrative execution than for its thematic content and underlying message. It's somewhat of a shock to the system, and it left me with a smile on my face due to how unashamed it is in presenting its own political ideology. It's brilliantly progressive, thunderously feminist, and arguably essential.