When I saw Gasland for the first time last week, it's safe to say I was far past the state of shock, not because of what was happening because of hydraulic fracturing but just of what the actions taken by natural gas companies could mean for the general state of America. Has public opinion and the voice of the people become muffled to the point of unrecognizable murmurs? It's a scary reality we're a bit late on facing.
The film was interesting, to say the least, but was bogged down by questionable stylistic choices, odd, cloying narration, and facts that would likely go over the viewer's head. Now we have Gasland: Part II, a film that goes a bit further by showing the political/global effects on hydraulic fracturing (also known as "fracking") and how affected townspeople have refused to sit idly by and watch their liberties and wellbeing be disregarded tastelessly.
Filmmaker Josh Fox returns to tackle this subject again, not just showing that he has done his homework but also the optional extra credit. Through all his research, analysis, and thought, he has probably given this subject as much or more thought than a college kid currently studying a specific field. His dedication and enthusiasm for the subject is terrific. We open with shots of the oil-ridden Gulf of Mexico, reminding us that the summer of 2010 was hell for not just the Gulf but the residents of the bayou, who experienced hellish living conditions and grossly low profits thanks to oil contamination in their waters. We then learn that BP planes were instructed to hose down the Gulf in chemicals that were supposed to be reducing the impact of the oil. However, the chemicals were revealed that only smother the oil and force it lower to the depths of the waters; it was a blatant cover-up, not a solution.
What follows is almost the same as the original Gasland film in terms of approach; it utilizes the method of reciting many facts and history-pieces, however, in a more concise and understandable way. At least for the first two halves because by the third half, everything has become a bit of a muchness and we're channeling the lines of "Gasland: Part III."
The film is dedicated to three main pieces of the fracking case and uses them all to a solid effect. Its first is showing how constant drilling and methane contamination has left the small town of Dimock, Pennsylvania with an unreliable water supply, filled with unpronounceable chemicals. The second is showing how many townspeople have taken action and stood up for their rights as people of the United States. One man claims he used to be a Republican, but since unforgivable tactics have taken place in his hometown he has since become an independent. After all, private ownership is a direct principle to conservative ideology. The final point is to not belittle but show how even the so-called elite - white, male business owners who have done so much as erect an entire home off of money they've made themselves - aren't immune to the practice of fracking. Even they can be treated like second class citizens and weakened by the lack of regulation on the practice.
Fox's sleepy narration is still in place, but he seems to have woken up a bit since the last film. Moreover, the amount of respect I have for the man himself has grown with this followup film. Fox is more than a talking head with a discernible opinion. It took me to the middle of this film to realize he has an incredible passion for one- man activism, and that his banjo-playing, artistic locational shooting, and quirky sendoffs are more driven to influence and showcase a personality rather than quasi-varietal nonsense. He is a strong man, brave and gutful in his actions of attacking an industry armed with everything in their power to silence the common men and whistleblowers like him. He even gets arrested for attempting to film a public meeting on the matter of natural gas extraction. Not many would've continued fighting a towering man in a cop outfit over something like that.
Gasland: Part II is a notable increase in quality from the redundancy and complexities that were the preceding documentary. It is a lot more poetic and artful in its shots, as well as informing and thought-provoking in its arguments and justifications without the elements that seemed to alienate viewers of the previous film. It's safe to say Fox's impact on the hydraulic fracturing debate have been immense, but his environmentalist impact has begun to surface quite notably.
NOTE: Gasland: Part II premiered on HBO at 8pm central time on Monday July 8, 2013 and will air throughout the months of July and August on the network.
Starring: Josh Fox. Directed by: Josh Fox.
