She's Beautiful When She's Angry (2014) directed by Mary Dore, an award winning documentary producer, is an utterly fabulous piece of feminist art that ought to be seen by women everywhere. This documentary was orchestrated beautifully and organized with clear care. Passion will flow directly from the film into your bloodstream with every clip, interview and image. Based on a reflection and retelling of the 1960s American women's activism, the film documents a crucial time in American history. Brimming with interviews of originals and leaders in the movement, the film is powerful and honest. From the beginning, the viewer can sense the fearless, ballsy attitude that embodied each Movement Woman and their continued enthusiasm is contagious.
The opening scene begins with a slide stating that many states are restricting women's access to reproductive health care, meaning birth control and abortion. The scene then flips to a current-day women's health care rally where a woman is addressing an audience. She says to the crowd, "Women's health care is being tossed around like a football, the argument has been over for a very long time, to have the right to choose. We should be mad, Are you mad?" The crowd erupts in affirmation. Directly after this we see an interview with an older woman warning that if we don't continue to pay attention the rug will be ripped from beneath us. The film goes on to describe in detail what it would have been like to live as a women in the 1960s, the oppression, the fear, the passion, and at last, the anger. A series of personal stories, experiences and explanations are shared by real 1960s Movement Women which help to paint the scene of their lives and how the time changed them personally. Dore did an amazing job of capturing the feeling of empowerment by also including original footage of protest walks, support meetings and even interviews of men during the time, dogging the movement.
By flipping from original photos, footage, and interviews, the film keeps the audience engaged. The use of shocking facts and stories caused my stomach to clench and roll at the audacity and out right ignorant discrimination coming at women from many men, most in positions of authority. In the plainest of terms, the creators of She's Beautiful When She's Angry cared. As simple as that, this issue, this process, the success of the woman's rights movement truly mattered and the film is steeped in their firm belief in this cause. Every shot and interview contained more earnest passion and vitality than anything I have viewed to date and gave me a whole new perspective of the term "feminism".
In the end, though I would not consider myself a feminist, this film is truly powerful and informative. It shows that the roots of feminism were deeply grounded in real issues and active discrimination upon women of that time. Its purpose is to warn and remind women that the fight for our rights is an unending battle. As soon as women grow docile in the fight, our rights will begin to dwindle. Proof of this shown in the film is the issue of birth control and abortion. Forty years ago women were given the right to choose what was best for our bodies, yet now the question is being raised again and that fact is clearly upsetting to both the Movement Women and the creators of this film. Both entertaining and informative, woman must watch She's Beautiful When She's Angry in order to further their knowledge of how we developed into the powerful parts of society that we are today. This film will send chills down your arms and passion through your spirit.
The opening scene begins with a slide stating that many states are restricting women's access to reproductive health care, meaning birth control and abortion. The scene then flips to a current-day women's health care rally where a woman is addressing an audience. She says to the crowd, "Women's health care is being tossed around like a football, the argument has been over for a very long time, to have the right to choose. We should be mad, Are you mad?" The crowd erupts in affirmation. Directly after this we see an interview with an older woman warning that if we don't continue to pay attention the rug will be ripped from beneath us. The film goes on to describe in detail what it would have been like to live as a women in the 1960s, the oppression, the fear, the passion, and at last, the anger. A series of personal stories, experiences and explanations are shared by real 1960s Movement Women which help to paint the scene of their lives and how the time changed them personally. Dore did an amazing job of capturing the feeling of empowerment by also including original footage of protest walks, support meetings and even interviews of men during the time, dogging the movement.
By flipping from original photos, footage, and interviews, the film keeps the audience engaged. The use of shocking facts and stories caused my stomach to clench and roll at the audacity and out right ignorant discrimination coming at women from many men, most in positions of authority. In the plainest of terms, the creators of She's Beautiful When She's Angry cared. As simple as that, this issue, this process, the success of the woman's rights movement truly mattered and the film is steeped in their firm belief in this cause. Every shot and interview contained more earnest passion and vitality than anything I have viewed to date and gave me a whole new perspective of the term "feminism".
In the end, though I would not consider myself a feminist, this film is truly powerful and informative. It shows that the roots of feminism were deeply grounded in real issues and active discrimination upon women of that time. Its purpose is to warn and remind women that the fight for our rights is an unending battle. As soon as women grow docile in the fight, our rights will begin to dwindle. Proof of this shown in the film is the issue of birth control and abortion. Forty years ago women were given the right to choose what was best for our bodies, yet now the question is being raised again and that fact is clearly upsetting to both the Movement Women and the creators of this film. Both entertaining and informative, woman must watch She's Beautiful When She's Angry in order to further their knowledge of how we developed into the powerful parts of society that we are today. This film will send chills down your arms and passion through your spirit.