Weather Underground [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

In some ways, the group known as the Weather Underground (originally the Weathermen, an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society) were more a symbol of 1960s radical idealism than a real revolutionary movement. Although they planted many bombs during a decade-long period, they never did anything that seriously threatened the government or power structure. Their goal, of course, was to spark a mass movement and inspire others to follow their example, but they remained essentially marginalized. The film, The Weather Underground does a good job at letting members of this group explain their motives and, in some cases, misgivings about their foray into revolution. Directors Bill Siegel and Sam Green seem to be sympathetic with the movement, and most of the material is told from the point of view of members. Leaders of the group Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers have retained their radical views and are anything but apologetic about their past actions.

Most members of the group, despite the bombings, were committed to not harming people. This brings up a rather blatant omission in the film -Kathy Boudin, perhaps the group's most notorious member (for her participation in a robbery where a man was killed) is not mentioned at all. This was an unfortunate decision, apparently done to portray the Weathermen as essentially nonviolent. To leave out such a well known chapter in the group's history leaves a gaping hole. Still, the parts that are included are fascinating and give a glimpse into the idealism and naivete of these leftist radicals.

In retrospect, it is (at least from one perspective) a little sad to see how little long term effect the 1960s counterculture had on society. It seems that they were no match for the propaganda machine of the government and mass media. This film, of course, employs propaganda methods of its own, as when brutal footage from the Vietnam war is shown. Propaganda it may be, but it does serve to almost trivialize the violence committed by the Weathermen compared with that perpetrated by the government it was opposing. The other side to this argument is that the fact that these radicals are still alive and that a film like this has been allowed to be made is proof that America is not as oppressive as some would have us believe. Yet, this is only true to some extent; as the film explains, the FBI made a concerted (and mainly illegal) effort to destroy radical movements. There is also evidence that the government murdered members of the Black Panthers.

How you react to The Weather Underground depends on your political and cultural perspective. Regardless of this, this film is a compelling study of a radical group and gives us a glimpse into their world.

At the end of the 1960's, the various student youth movements took a sharp turn toward the far left. Frustrated by their failures to halt America's involvement in the Vietnam War, a growing minority of student activist leaders whole-heartedly embraced Marxist dogma and began agitating for the overthrow of the United States government. There were a few niggling problems to attend to first, such as taking over the leadership of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which they accomplished at the 1968 SDS national convention. An interesting thing to remember about extremists regardless of their political leanings is worth mentioning at this point: radicals can't get along with one another. Views and positions take on the rigidity of absolute, immutable truth, and anyone who opposes those views is the enemy--even if they're on your side to begin with. Thus SDS almost immediately disintegrated into squabbling factions of increasing irrelevancy. The most notable group to arise from the ashes of SDS were the Weathermen, an extreme far left organization devoted to bringing about a Marxist revolution in the United States. The name of the group, as you probably know if you're reading this, came from a Bob Dylan song.

The Weathermen, later known as the Weather Underground after the members went into hiding, utterly failed to achieve any of their objectives. Their first big action occurred in Chicago when the group launched their own version of Kristalnacht, called "The Days of Rage." The Weathermen and their associates roamed through the streets of Chicago, breaking windows, fighting with cops, and generally making a huge nuisance of themselves. Surprisingly, this little action failed to rouse the citizenry from their capitalist coma, a realization that seemed to shock this merry bunch of pranksters. Angered by this failure, the Weathermen decided to take up bomb making as a hobby. What followed were years of targeted bombings against such diverse targets as corporations, government institutions, universities, and other structures serving the "enemies of the people." The Weather Underground suffered setbacks, too, like the accidental detonation of a bomb that killed radicals Ted Gold, Diana Oughton, and Terry Robbins in a New York City townhouse on March 6, 1970. Still, the revolution must go on, so over the next several years the bombs continued to explode across the country as the Weather Underground continued to release written or tape recorded "communiqués" justifying their violent actions. By the early 1980s most of the members turned themselves into the authorities, exhausted from their years of living in hiding.

Why two paragraphs of tedious summary about an irrelevant political group long gone from the American landscape? Because this fascinating documentary, "The Weather Underground," covers most of this material in minute detail through a collection of vintage news reports, documents, film footage, recreations, and interviews. Made a couple of years ago and aired widely on PBS, which is where I saw part of it and wanted more, the documentary revisits many of the principal players more than two decades after the group dissolved. We get to see and hear Billy Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Mark Rudd, Naomi Jaffe, David Gilbert, Brian Flanagan, and Laura Whitehorn reminisce about their days as revolutionary fighters battling for the soul of America. Moreover, interviews with former SDS leader Todd Gitlin, former Black Panther Kathleen Cleaver, and FBI agent Don Strickland provide a different point of view on the activities of the Weather Underground. By listening to these people recount their experiences, we learn more about how angry radicals became over the murder of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, about how the group helped Timothy Leary escape from prison, and learn to marvel in awe at the massive comb over Mark Rudd sported as a young communist revolutionary.

It's not too difficult to see where the filmmakers' loyalties lie regarding the activities of the Weather Underground. Although careful not to make them look too cool, it's fairly obvious the presentation aims to present these characters as admirable figures. They placed a baseball bat in Billy Ayers's hands as he strolled down memory lane remembering the "Days of Rage" fiasco. While we could write off this stunt as sensationalism, it's more problematic to examine the questions put to the various members. Why did Kathy Boudin's name never come up in the film? Probably because Boudin, unlike many members we see here, did kill people in the name of a revolutionary cause. In the early 1980s, she joined the Black Liberation Army and took part in an armored car robbery that resulted in the deaths of two police officers and a security guard. The ghost of Boudin is apparently a problem the filmmakers wished to avoid, although I should credit them for interviewing David Gilbert, a man currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the same crime. It just seems most of the questions don't dig too deeply into the questionable practices of the Weather revolution. Then again, maybe they don't need to; several of the former members appear as though they're having problems coming to terms with their past behavior. That's a hopeful sign.

Although I've had rough words in the past about these people and their despicable actions, I had a tough time disliking them in the film. A few of them, primarily Mark Rudd and Brian Flanagan, seem like people you could sit down with for a few hours and have an interesting conversation about any topic. The commentary track with Ayers and Dohrn is well worth a listen primarily for the realization that even stolid commies have a self-deprecating sense of humor. But you also discover that several of these people aren't quite ready to repudiate their former positions. I think it was Laura Whitehorn who said she would do it all over again if given the chance, a view that is hardly encouraging. Give this one a watch, though. It's mesmerizing.

Many documentary film-makers don't play fair. They ignore any fact or argument that doesn't support their position, and edit their footage in a way that forces you to accept their views. Their goal is not to inform, but to persuade.

Consider Michael Moore. I like his documentaries -- and I'm inclined to agree with him on the issues he's addressed (e.g., gun control, the war in Iraq, the arrogance and duplicity of the Bush administration) -- but they're far from unbiased. That's fine, of course, because he doesn't pretend to be neutral. He's an advocate who presents ideas and perspectives largely ignored by the mainstream press. His work is valuable (and often entertaining), but ultimately unsatisfying. I always leave a Micheal Moore film wondering what an informed person on the other side would have to say.

"The Weather Underground" is different. Though I'm sure the directors have strong feelings about their subject, they don't express them in the film. Instead, they present a balanced history of the Weathermen and let you form your own opinions regarding this controversial organization that endorsed the use of violence to protest the Vietnam War.

Because the directors resist every temptation to reveal (let alone impose) their personal views, people who watch the film often have wildly different reactions to it. I first saw the movie in a packed theater in Chicago. One of the interview subjects was Todd Gitlin, a former president of the SDS who was active in the anti-war movement but critical of the Weathermen. He seemed smart, sensible and thoughtful, and I found myself agreeing with most everything he said. But others in attendance actually hissed whenever he appeared on screen. I'm sure it would have been easy for the directors to make Mr. Gitlin appear either reasonable or misguided, but instead they let each viewer make his own assessment.

"The Weather Underground" is a great documentary: compelling, informative, thought-provoking, sometimes heartbreaking, and occasionally very funny. (The last scene, showing a former Weatherman where you'd never expect to see him, made me laugh out loud.) It's also worth owning, as it rewards repeated viewings.