Her Socialist Smile

Make a documentary about THE most famous blind activist and then make it totally inaccessible to visually-impaired people. For minutes on end, passages of Keller's writings are shown without voice-over, while texts ABOUT her are then read in voice over. So her own words are inaccesibly for anybody who can't read them. I am sure this is meant to be some sort of clever commentary, but it still leaves a movie which is largely inaccessibly for large parts of its target audience. It left me frustrated and annoyed.

Helen Keller always fascinated me. I remember Helen Keller jokes as a child. What is Helen Keller's favorite color? Corduroy.

This still seems darkly funny to me. I think the joke actually makes you think about how a blind person "sees." It is a grim jest but it makes you think about a world without color.

Most people probably know about Helen Keller from the 1962 movie, "The Miracle Worker" directed by Arthur Penn. It is a great movie (although maybe too focused on Anne Sullivan). Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke both won Oscars for their portrayals.

I think most people remember the story as one of a patient and great teacher accomplishing a miracle by teaching a blind, deaf, almost wild young woman to speak, read, and live a normal life.

What is usually forgotten about Helen Keller is her full life as an activist. She was a popular speaker, author, and a social justice warrior (that that term is considered derisive by some conservatives speaks volumes about modern day conservatives).

This film will make you work. Since Helen's speaking voice was not very clear, the documentary, rather than having someone read what she wrote, shows the words in white type on a black background making the viewer read the words. It is very effective.

One of my favorite things in the film is the way they present excerpts from her speaking engagements. A question will appear on the screen and Helen's always witty and dead-on response is then displayed.

The film is beautifully photographed and has large stretches of silence. I believe the filmmakers are intentionally trying to make you aware of the senses that Helen Keller lacked.

Whether you agree with Helen's socialist views or not will realistically affect your enjoyment of the film, that is understandable, but learning about such a remarkable person should be secondary to political differences. I think anyone can enjoy the beautiful photography and appreciate the sheer beauty and earnest drive of the film.

I came across this documentary by accident, and I wish I hadn't.

I was well aware of her condition, her struggles, and her triumphs, with the aid of her wonderful teacher, Anne Sullivan.

I only recently became aware of her activism and socialism so, I was looking forward to learning more about this remarkable woman. I was disappointed.

I gave this 6 minutes, 5 more than I would usually give because, I wanted to learn more. Unfortunately these 6 minutes turned me off from viewing any further, I could see it would be disappointing.

The style of the production was awful, to say the least. The opening said more than enough. Not everyone can read Braille so, why there wasn't a subtitle line, is beyond me.

Granted, there was a narative to coincide however, the narative was so indistinct, and so rather slow, it wasn't immediately apparent that, the narative alluded to what was being shown on screen. Then it went downhill from there.

What a shame.