Sure Lake of Fire could have used some editing, but hey, Tony Kaye (you remember - American History X) worked on it for over a decade, so give him some credit for whittling it down this far.
Like so many complex problems that have deep meaning for people, too many times all we hear is the ranting and screaming about the issue until it becomes lost in two groups trying to out slogan each other. When this happens people don’t necessarily understand what they’re fighting for anymore. The issue becomes a politicized belief system full of superstitions, dogma, and clout to get people emotionally motivated to take sides. This is what Kaye is trying to bring to the surface with Lake of Fire.
After watching the film I’ve got to say that my thoughts on abortion have been greatly expanded, and I see that it has become much more complicated an issue than I imagined. There are plenty of talking heads who come to the fore and offer many insightful thoughts on the subject. Particularly apt is Noam Chomsky, who looks big picture as usual when pointing out the inconsistencies of some militant pro-lifers: “fifteen million children die every year mostly from easily treatable diseases…that could be treated for literally pennies a day from rich countries…if we’re serious about saving lives, saving children’s lives there are easy ways to do it.” Come on, Noam, smarten up. We don’t want to look at those issues….
Frederick Clarkson presents an alarming analysis of the greater overall impact and far reaching goals of strong pro-life movements in their wish to reform not only abortion rights, but to carry that strength forward into other issues as well.
But this film is not about who is right or wrong Kaye is attempting to be as unbiased about the issue as possible, though the fringe speaks for itself. Interviews with abortion doctor killers are especially chilling, but not much more than the seemingly civil pro-lifer nut jobs that are equally disturbing.
Kaye attempts to give the pro-lifers their due in other ways. In one instance we see the results of an abortion - a doctor coldly digs through the remains of recently aborted fetuses - a unsettling and unpleasant moment; or we follow an unnamed female as she goes through the process of getting an abortion, which one can’t help but feel a little rattled and saddened about.
For the most part Kaye created a great film. Sometimes the ‘black and white’ of the issue is banged over our heads with the use of the black and white film, and sometimes the film feels a little bloated, but more often than not it is intriguing and doesn’t seem to lose too much steam. I’d recommend it to anyone who thinks they understand the issue or not.
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