‘Happy’ anniversary of Hurricane Katrina...
Trouble the Water: Things to consider
• Did this film change the way you saw Katrina or its aftermath?
• Do you think it is a ‘truer’ depiction of what happened during Katrina than most other depictions – particularly given the use of Kim’s footage?
• In what ways is the film manipulated by the directors? (Consider the use of music; how the footage is edited and strung together; the use of news reports, etc., in addition to Kim’s or the filmmakers’ footage; and so on.)
• Noel Murray, in The Onion, claims that the film is ‘frustrating, because it lacks some focus.’ Do you agree? What would it mean for it (or any film) to have ‘focus’, and is it ever a god thing to lack it?
• The review continues: ‘It starts off being about the footage Kim shot, but she didn't shoot a lot, and anyone coming to Trouble The Water looking for an insider’s take on the storm and its immediate aftermath will be disappointed to find that the bulk of the film takes place post-emergency.’ Were you disappointed by the amount of footage we saw from Kim, or from the film’s ‘post-emergency’ emphasis?
• Finally, Murray writes: ‘Even more bothersome is how Lessin and Deal keep steering away from the most persistently unsettling part of the Hurricane Katrina story, having to do with the multiple ways the rights of American citizens were taken away, by the suspicious and the well-meaning alike. Given that the filmmakers' original idea for their project stalled out due to lack of access, it's disappointing that they didn't explore that angle more.’ Do you agree?
- No, the film did not affect my opinion of Katrina. Watching the news from the East Coast, I had already seen most of the different viewpoints on the event, mostly on (in my opinion) the failure fo the FEMA disaster response system and what many feel is indifference in President Bush's official resonse. From what I determined, the movie was focused on showign the so-called "unseen side" of Katrina, and how the hurricane thorouhly and permamently changed the lower classes, as in the Ninth Ward.
ReplyDelete- Whether the movie is "truer" or not entirely depends on your definition of truth. In this case, I feel that it does give a better depiction of what actually is New Orleans, the real heart of the city. The city relies upon these lower sections of society, and one major problem of Katrina was the government's response in helping this group of people, and in the movie, this was portrayed extremely negatively (i.e. Kim's attempts to get the $2,000 relief check).
- The use of two concurrent stories, the one of Kim and her family's struggle for survival, and of the news reports and official breifings, allows the audience to constrast the two sides immediately following the other. Kim's home camera footage lends an extremely realistic tone to the piece, as now it is clear that this is not a prepared shoot of the devastation of Katrina, but rather a raw, uncut slice of the descrutction, seen firsthand.
- Again, as with truth, one must define what focus is. If we say it is the directors' pursuit of a certain idea, then Trouble the Water does succeed in this aspect, as the two storylines interweave to showcase the other side of Katrina.
- Whether a person needs a movie to have focus is entirely subjective, as each individual connects ideas in their own way. For Murray, he may be unable to see the bigger picture, or doesn;t want to connect the stories, or simply does not believe or understand the message. Personally, I extrapolate the information provided by Kim and her story, and relate it to my own personal knowledge to form a larger idea about the themes in the movie. Sometimes, having a movie witha lack of focus can e helpful, for while focus may help steer the plotline and guide the audience "through understanding", it can take away from the creativity and originality in the diretors' message. In that sense, Trouble the Water appears to have a little it of both concepts, and this allows it to be understood on multiple levels.
- As far as I am concerned, the fact that Kim's footage is mostly post emergency is fine, and I see no problem with this. In fact, I think this is almost a better way, considering that most people are acutely aware of the pre-Katrina perparations, and maybe not of the immediate impact of the storm.
- I do agree with Murray on the "lack of access" to the "lost rights of Americans". This angle would have been extremely complimentary to the film, andit is quite disappointing that it was not explored. This could have served as the final climax of the film, showcasing and elevating the sense of hopelessness in regards to the original disaster that strikes Kim and family.
- Miheer Munjal (8/27/09)
PS. I could not get copypaste to work on this for some reason... so sorry if there are problems in reading this.