Review of The Great Invisible (2014) by Devilmath — 26 Sep 2015

The Great Invisible will particularly resonate with UK audiences, as it recounts the explosion of British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering the worst petrol spill in American history. Director Margaret Brown’s investigation encompasses everyone affected by the tragedy: from the eleven Deepwater Horizon workers who died during the explosion, to the ones who survived, forever marked with deep pshychological and physical scars. The film also reports on the effect that the spill had on various cities on the coast. The destruction of the ecosystem and sealife that sustained thousands of families caused many job losses across the region; nevertheless, we see top oil businessmen gather to pat each other on the backs, complimenting on the increasing profits at their yearly conference in Houston.

Brown constantly shifts the focus between different but complementary aspects: the working class people in Alabama, struggling to obtain the compensation they were promised; former Deepwater Horizon workers providing first hand details about the disaster; oil industry representatives, smoking cigars and reassuring each other that fuel fossils are still the way to go; BP’s disastrous handling of the situation, and its political and judicial implications. The result is a logical, informative, radical documentary that will make your blood boil, and rightfully so.