Tread

"When you visit evil on someone, believe me, it will be visited on you." Marv Heemeyer

And so, you get to see the most bizarre documentary this year at a time when you may have had just enough of formulaic dramas on demand. Netflix brings us Marv, who is so pissed at the small town of Granby, Colorado, that he outfits a giant Kubota bulldozer like a tank and wrecks a serious number of buildings.

We don't remember this tragic and sometimes amusing incident from 2004 because we were grieving the day after for Ronald Reagan. Now, however, we can relive the bizarre event and give it its just due in Paul Solet's magnetizing documentary called Tread, for obvious reasons. I've lived in a small town like that (pop about 2000) where life can be unforgiving with slights remembered, rumors deadly, and good ol' boys rule not always to a working stiff's benefit.

It's not important to know who is right or wrong. Rather it is discouraging to know that neither side is right and that provincialism thrives as could be expected in blue collar enclaves where zoning and sewage district decisions are not made by God but by petty bureaucrats, who can change a modest welder's life to their advantage and his distinct outrage.

After setting the scene of growing acrimony, Solet shows original footage and voiceovers to chronicle the tank's journey, helicopter and drone shots, and a few restaged moments to try to replicate the eccentricity of the event. Marv's cassette tape testimony is the most interesting, for he barely reveals his rage in favor of his apocalyptic predictions. No one can stop the giant as it targets the buildings and homes of Marv's perceived enemies.

Working-class outrage does gets lost in sheer wonder at the forbidding destroyer, perhaps echoing our own numbed inability to stop a pandemic or a destructive political machine. Yet, as almost low-key as this revenge is, it is nonetheless true, and a bit of our outrage rides inside with Marv.

Tread seems to hold our abiding struggles as if in a nightmare where we tread on our perceived enemies and forget the lessons of tolerance our parlous times demand of us.

You'll not move from your seat in disbelief. It makes being cooped up worth while for 89 minutes.

I don't usually like to watch documentaries but this one caught my attention because it was a kind of revenge thing. It was a well-written and a well-thought out 'film' and it is worth watching. What a pity that Reagan died the following day!

This news story always stuck in my mind when it was 1st reported well over a decade ago so I was intrigued to learn more about it. "Tread" tells the story of a man getting revenge on City Hall & building a marvel of a machine to exact it with. The film does a brilliant job at setting everything in motion, covering all sides of small town politics & a gifted welder driven to madness. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt during his rampage so there is nothing you have to turn your head away from while watching it. The incredible act of destruction is captured with actual news footage, photographs & some recreation. It'll give any action movie fan a rush. Do NOT let this documentary escape your attention.

When watching this very well 'crafted' documentary one question kept springing to mind....what about his long lost girlfriend...the one he loved so much..

Even though this is a gripping insight into a man and his fight against an unjust system it could have been perfected with some more 'unbiased' interviews from family and friends...in the end this docu slanted towards 'he was mad..' but I believe he wasn't...

even in a grown up society where we should all be able to thrive, the bullies still exist.. And Marvin Heemeyer fell victim to this...and to his own demons..

Watch it....

This documentary, to me, is a mixed bag of content. Its basically a destructive revenge story. But what the makers don't focus or expand on , are the issues of Anger, Suicide, Loneliness, Mental Health, Corruptionion, Loss, Nepotism or Paranoia. Could have made a very good documentary an excellent documentary.

It's a bit of a slow burner, but the pay off is worth it. This would make a great fictional movie. Small town lives and small town mind lead big time problems.