Occupy: The Movie (Corey Ogilvie, 2012): Canada

Reviewed by Melanie McComb

Directed by Corey Ogilvie, Occupy: The Movie was an emotional and intellectually stimulating experience. The film surrounds The Occupy Wall Street movement from the vantage point of the protesters. The film has a generous amount of visual aides, interviews and footage of the protests to expand the point of view of the protesters.

There were some very disturbing moments in the film, particularly the police brutality. One clip shows footage of three women being surrounded by officers and they are maced for no real reason. The women were in agonizing pain and panic and watching them experience pure terror was more than difficult to watch. Another act of police brutality was when we were shown footage of a young man whose head had just been kicked continuously. It was another shocking and uncomfortable moment to witness.
While the film was very informative and had excellent footage of very incredible events, there were a lot of unnecessary scenes, shots, and interviews that made the film drag. In a documentary, facts and opinions are very important so I cannot blame them for having mostly facts and opinions. But the way they were displayed could have been adapted for an audience. Some of the clips weren’t totally necessary to the overall message the filmmakers were trying to get across. Just like in an essay, unnecessary information should always be cut out.
I do believe that one of the films strengths was how they broke down what the protesters defined as “corporate greed” with the use of animation and charts. Overall, the documentary was effective and will easily keep a viewer interested and gain a new perspective on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

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Published:
02.10.13 / 4pm
Category:
Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2013