Review of This Divided State (2005) by Adrian Z — 05 Sep 2013

An incendiary documentary that captures the controversy surrounding an invitation for Michael Moore to speak at a Utah university in the lead up to the Bush / Kerry election in 2004. First time director Steven Greenstreet wisely chooses to keep away from narration, focusing instead on letting the event protagonists speak their minds, and reveal their attitudes on camera, with seemingly equal exposure given to conservative views and liberal views.

The participants are incredibly candid and open with the filmmakers, which really allows the viewer to feel a personal connection with this community, political or religious views notwithstanding. Some genuinely funny scenes and people as well.

Sadly, and scarily, my conclusion after watching this is that it seems many have a tenuous grasp on what freedom of speech actually is, and the importance of civil discourse. What's more, lots of feverishly strong opinions without facts to back them up - on both sides of the coin.

Technically, the film is rough around the edges, betraying the fact its the work of students who maxed out three credit cards to complete the film, but their efforts have been well worth it; This Divided State is suprisingly effective.