Rating: 
Summary: Insightful look at American 60s radicals
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Violent Approach to Social Change by Radical Political Youth
Review: In the 1960s the Vietnam War began for the Americans to which Daniel Ellsworth once quote in the documentary Hearts and Minds (1974), "We weren't on the wrong side -- we were the wrong side." Simultaneously with the Vietnam War civil injustice was common in the United States where people were struggling for equal rights for African-Americans in the United States. This in the backdrop nuclear war threat instigated by a government that was dealing with real threats such as the Cuba Crisis. The assassinations of Martin Luther King, the Kennedy's, Malcom X, Fred Hampton, and others seemed to have left a deep psychological scar in many young Americans as they decided to stand up and voice their opinion against the violence and exploitation in the world. One of these organizations were Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which organized rallies against the war in Vietnam and social injustice in the society, as they promoted peace and democracy.
SDS was run by college students that wanted to make a change in the society for the better, and within the the organization a number of members had more radical ideas of how this would be accomplished. These members where a part of the internal group, Weather Underground, a name they acquired from Bob Dylan's song Subterranean Homesick Blues where on line goes as this -- "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows." The Weather Underground seized the power of the SDS in 1969 at the national convention in Chicago. The founder of SDS, Todd Gitlin, described it as, "Institutional piracy."
The radical notions that were brought to the table by the Weather Underground was based on the little progress they have observed. Thus, the Weather Underground decided to take actions into their own hands as they began to organize for a revolution, which they believed was needed to bring about a change. Much of the Weather Underground's activities were considered terrorism, as they promoted active violence against the government. However, after an incident where an innocent person was killed the group sat down and discussed the philosophy of the Weather Underground. The conclusion was that no more lives was to be taken, and that extra precautions was to be taken in order the death of people.
Throughout the 1970s the Weather Underground committed several bombings in regards to acts they considered criminal and unjust. They had to cut their ties with their families in order to avoid arrest by the FBI. The FBI did everything possible in order to seek and destroy this organization, but without any luck. When the Vietnam War ended in 1975 the Weather Underground fell into the shadows of history, and as the members grew older and began to build families a life on the run became difficult. This led to most of the members turning themselves into the authorities, and what is interesting is that most members of the Weather Underground were released as the FBI had broken several laws in their attempts to arrest them.
Through the many interviews in the film the audience can learn that the former members of the Weather Underground are still passionate about their political views. They believed what they did was for a just cause in a time of great difficulty and they do not regret their accomplishments. However, in retrospect they wish they could have made some things a differently as wisdom have caught up with them.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven but fascinating!
Review: Little wonder that this otherwise fascinating study of that long-ago radical group called the Weather Underground completely ignores the most notorious member of this white, rich clique: Kathy Boudin. During the filming of this project, Boudin was awaiting a parole hearing for her part in the murders of two beloved cops. The sympathetic film makers didn't want to jeopardize this psychopathic killer's chances of having her parole rejected. It wasn't. She served 22 years and owes her release to a claque of wealthy, white leftist attorneys and old activists. These were the same idiots who protected, sheltered and funded our fun-loving gang of bombers and psychos for more than decade. Other than that, you're treated to the underground as they were back in the 60s/70s and the way they are today. Nothing can hide the bald fact that this small group were composed of white, rich kids who took play acting to an extreme. They were greatly inspired by the youth riots in Europe at the time. The Vietnam War and the black activist movements also fed into the goals of such charismatic young college students as Mark Rudd, Bernardine Dorhn, Bill Ayers, Kathy Boudin and a few others. Bernardine looks good today although she hasn't changed her views very much. What's chilling is that several of these old radicals said they would do the same thing today if they had a chance and the events were propitious. Bill Ayers and Bernardine married and he's now a Distinguished Professor of English at a university. Yet, he suggests he hasn't changed all that much either from his glory days as a bomb thrower. He's shown now with a baseball bat, meandering along those streets where riots once reigned. In his memoirs, "Fugitive Days," he comes across as basically an unsufferable airhead who misses the spotlight and whines about the sad plight of America and the poor blacks. The eeriest part of this movie is the long interview with one of the radicals who was arrested along with Kathy Boudin in the double-murder of the cops. David (?) is in prison for life for his part in this Black Panther planned robbery of a Brinks van. David acts as if he can barely suppress hysterical giggles. HIs mouth struggles to stay serious but occaionally, a looney grin takes over and he remembers intensely all the reasons why he became a "revolutionary." That's his name for all the misery he and his fellow terrorists called themselves for a short period in time. My college roommate back in the 60s had an apt name for the Weather Underground: The Marx Brothers of Terrorism. No one knew what they wanted, what their agenda was or why they were blowing up buildings and "symbols" across America. Bill Ayers proudly states today that "no one was injured" during these bombings. He forgets to add that several of the Weathermen were blown up while making a bomb in a Greenwich Village townhouse that was to be exploded in a crowded area. And no one in this documentary mentions the actions of their own deadly Joan of Arc--Kathy Boudin--who just couldn't stay away from all that wonderful violence and mayhem.
Rating: 
Summary: Nominated and should have taken the Oscar
Review: Looks like McNamara won again with his anti-war doc. film. The insight and proggressive beliefs that the Weather Underground stayed true to act as a legitamite foundation for the liberated America we live in. If you are enticed by politics but are sick of corruption in America check out this film about a group derived from the SDS that took its war with the government to an extreme that had to be recognized. I never knew they busted Timmothy Leary out of jail and attacked symbols of American injustice without using murder (the tool those in power use to stress their point) don't think you've seen a film like this before, it left me energized with a tendency toward learning about political struggles of today! Who'd think a gen-Xer could look at a film about revolutionairy soldiers of the past and wonder what he could do today to maintain the liberation sparked by students from the 60's. A must have for any leftist, documentary fan, or anyone interested about the origins and movements of the "New Left"
Rating:
Summary: The next Errol Morris
Review: Sam Green. Remember that name. He'll be picking up awards left and right before you know it. This is a confident and spirited first effort, but he's only gonna get better.
Rating:
Summary: A sad snapshot that still resonates today
Review: Shocking, engrossing, enlightening and ultimately heartbreaking, "The Weather* Underground" is a new documentary that should probably be seen by just about anybody who doesn't know its story and is at all interested in America and its past, present and future. The movie is a brief history of the Weathermen, a radical group of anti-war, anti-racism protesters who, in the 1960s, splintered off from the Students for a Democratic Society and, as the Vietnam War grew and grew, became more and more aggressive in its tactics. I knew a little about the group beforehand but had no idea that, for example, its members once bombed the U.S. Capitol. They also set off explosives at a New York City police headquarters, the Presidio in San Francisco, a Queens courthouse, a National Guard headquarters and at an office of the New York Department of Corrections, among other targets. These actions are shocking and wrong in and of themselves, but in a post-9/11 environment, they take on an even larger sense of menace. But it's to the movie's credit that it's able to present these situations in a historical context without supporting or completely condemning the young people involved. Sam Green, with co-director Bill Siegel, strongly object to the methods of the Weathermen but are obviously and understandably sympathetic to the opinions and despair that motivated them. "Every second, from 1965 to 1975, I was always aware that our country was attacking Vietnam," says former Weatherman Mark Rudd. "Our country was killing millions of people in Vietnam . . . This revelation was more than we could handle. We didn't know what to do about it." Later, he adds, "I helped found an organization whose goal was the violent overthrow of the government of the United States."
Says Brian Flanagan, another ex-Weatherman (who, incidentally, once won $23,000 on "Jeopardy!"), "When you feel you have right on your side, you can do some horrific things." Somehow, Green and Siegel managed to find and interview many of the other key participants, and the stark contrast between the Weathermen today and their old mug shots is striking -- some have rethought their actions while some seem just as committed now as then. But the tragic figures of the movie aren't just a group of young people whose enthusiasm and outrage led them astray, nor are they those that the group lashed out against, but everybody involved. "The Weather Underground" is a sad snapshot of a time that still resonates today. The commentary by director Green is an extremely well-done track. Green is very adept at opening up the movie and explaining things that the film itself doesn't have time to go into detail about.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Film about Troubled Times...
Review: The Sixties Were Not the Romanticized Times of Peace and Love that People Seem to Remember them as. They Were Confusing and Chaotic... Up was Down, Right was Wrong and our Government was Doing Horrible Things In Our Names... It was From these Confusing Times that The Subjects of This Film Came of Age In... It's Easy to Say that What they Did Was Wrong, That they Went too Far but What You Have to Remember and What this Film Illustrates Is that We Weren't Just at War In Vietnam... We were in Fact at War In America too... From the Assination of Fred Hampton to The Murders at Kent State to The Incident at Attica State America was at War and Unless You Were Immersed In all of It Like the Members of The Weather Underground Were than You have no place to Criticize the Actions of Those who are In the Thick of It all... So In Closing If You Want to See What The Late-Sixties Were Really Like as Told By Those Who Were on the Front Lines of The War Then You Quite Simply MUST See This Film...
as a Side Note I actually Got Into an Arguement With Mark Rudd about Communism as a Viable Political Option at a Rally Last March in NYC and Can Say He Was Portayed in this Film as He actually is, Which Is To Say Forever a Believer in the Possiblity of Real Change on a Global Scale... In Hindsight I wish I was as Idealistic as He Is and Has Been for Roughly 40 Years... also PBS has Been Running this Film as Part of a Series of Indepedant Films So If You have any Doubts about whether or not to See It Check Out PBS' Website To See Exactly When It's Running, It's Not Like It will Cost You anything...
Rating:
Summary: History That was Almost Gone Like today's Weather Itself!
Review: This is a Fascinating Documentary about The Radical Protest Movement/Group that sprang forth from the Students for a Democratic Society: SDS, in the Late Sixties. I was Very Pleased (& Shocked) that it was Nominated for Best Doc. in the 2003 Academy Awards! Excellent & Riviting use of New Interviews with Principal figures of the Time, including Law Enforcement, News Footage, Photographs & Personal Letters & Writings. All Put to Good use to explain a Much Misunderstood Time in American History. History Repeats & This Should be a Warning about Going into Unwinable Wars. Fugazi Provides the Excellent & fitting Score.
Radicalism Is Shown As an Instrument for Change Not some Fad to Put on & then Discard after fashions "change"
Rating:
Summary: Should have won the 2003 Oscar, hands down!!!
Review: This is a sophisticated treatment of a controversial subject, and is absolutely captivating in its presentation!! Whether you know about the zeitgeist of the 60s and 70s or not, this film will immerse you in the radical half of it. An outstanding presentation of the range of disturbing events and issues that made activists and radicals so impassioned, the film also includes such topics as Vietnam, the Black Panthers and the Cointelpro papers... This is a MUST-SEE and should be useful for college instructors and students for a long time to come!
Rating: 
Summary: Slow Down
Review: This is a very good documentary. I am interested in the New Left and its evolution into violence from civil disobedience but I think the previous review needs to be toned down. I am anti-racist and anti-war but I am not out blowing up Pentagon restrooms or killing bank guards. I think we can finally reach a point in our evolution where we call a spade a spade - murder in the sake of some political goal can never be tolerated - no matter how benign the intention. The film is interesting because it sheds light on a neglected topic, but make no mistake, the Weather Underground was a dysfunctional group of violent people and they do not need to be unnecessarily romanticized.
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