Underground (1976)

Underground: Directed by Emile de Antonio, Mary Lampson, Haskell Wexler. With Bill Ayers, Kathy Boudin, Emile de Antonio, Bernardine Dohrn. It’s the mid 1970s and the Weather Underground Organization (WUO), a radical (and violent) offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society, explains to leftist filmmakers the difficulties and experiences of being underground and wanted by the federal government.

“This film is not likely to be of interest to anyone who does not already know the basic history of the Weather Underground and the Students for a Democratic Society, with the possible exception of radical activists. It is basically an interview with some of the wanted members of the Weather Underground Organization, a radical left u0026quot;terroristu0026quot; organization which grew out of the 60s political counterculture. WUO was wanted for a string of bombings (including the US Capital Building), and as such their faces are not visible. All of the members of the group who are interviewed in the film have since surfaced, and some are presently serving long prison sentences.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI was born in 1972, and as such I was not really cognizant of what was going on the mid-70s but in hindsight what strikes me about this film is how much it feels like the u0026quot;endu0026quot; of something. The political idealism of the 1960s had long since imploded, and WUOu0026#39;s struggle seems futile – a few dozen radicals does not a revolution make.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is interesting to hear stories about what drove these people to pursue a life of armed struggle in the United States. Short clips of Black Panthers and people like Fidel Castro are included to give context to WUOu0026#39;s struggle. WUO was not a nihilist organization; there were specific aims and ideology behind what they fought for.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn no way do I condone their actions, and my politics are very much opposed to that of WUOu0026#39;s, but you have to admire the courage, dedication, and commitment to action (rather than just talk) which defined this organization.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBefore watching this film (still in print), it would be helpful (if you have not already done so) to do some reading on the subject, or else the film is not likely to be of much interest (Familiarity with the basics of WUO and its origins is assumed).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTry Ron Jacobsu0026#39;s superb u0026quot;The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the Weather Undergroundu0026quot; for starters.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe value of this film is in its underlying optimism; that there was a time in America where people felt that they really could change the world – that you could fight the system and win.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWUO failed, of course, and several decades of cynicism and apathy followed.”