Bisbee '17
Director: Robert Greene
Year Released: 2018
Rating: 2.0
In 1917, over one-thousand mine workers from Bisbee, Arizona were arrested by Sheriff Harry C. Wheeler for going on strike, packed in cattle cars and sent to New Mexico and warned to never return, so for the 100th anniversary, the townsfolk got together to 'recreate' the tragedy of justice (stopping short of actually shipping anyone out). It's good that Greene decided to revisit this sad moment in American history that rarely gets discussed (gee, I wonder why), and while the 're-enactment' proved cathartic for many of the locals with relatives who were involved - work through those demons! - this proto-documentary has two major issues: (1.) without explicitly saying it, it is an allegory for Emperor Trump's Border Wall policies (Wheeler and his Posse had it in for individuals of Mexican and European backgrounds), but it makes this point crystal clear in the first half hour and milks the running time and (2.) Greene's not at all good at being objective (if he even cared to be), and the on-screen talent were clearly told what to say at various points to drive the point home.