Battle in Seattle
Issue #35
Directed by Stuart Townsend
By Elizabeth Rhodes
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 2:59pm
Like the growing number of tear-jerking blockbusters mining 9/11 and its aftermath, a docu-drama recounting the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial protests in Seattle could seem premature. And like the heaping mound of media appropriating 1960s social and political movements, it could also seem nullifying. Through Battle in Seattle, Irish actor-writer-director Stuart Townsend risks relegating to Hollywood history the 50,000 demonstrators who disrupted the meetings of the world’s most influential trade-governing bodies, united diverse constituencies representing all facets of the Left, and sparked a series of similar uprisings across the globe.
Battle in Seattle is worth the risk. Despite the unnecessary inclusion of fictional romances and personal dramas, the intensely emotional account of the five-day fight against globalization should succeed at sparking discussion and reminding both American and international audiences pre-occupied with post-9/11 politics about the WTO, as well as the importance of protecting our civil liberties. And isn’t that the point?
As the 98-minute film begins, protesters Jay Elgin (Martin Henderson) and Lou Castille (Michelle Rodriguez) scale a 170-foot construction crane near Lake Union with four fellow activists and unfurl the now-famous banner with an arrow with the word “Democracy” facing one way and an arrow reading “WTO” facing the other way. It’s the first of many striking scenes based on real events that at times educate, horrify, and inspire.
Due to the subject’s potency, Townsend’s occasional weak dialogue and coined phrases (“How can you stop someone who will stop at nothing?” … “They turned us into icons of violence!”) slide by without much damage. His interweaving vignettes show perspectives of protestors, police, and politicians. Ray Liotta is captivating as former Mayor Jim Tobin, who implores the crowds to “Be tough on your issues but be gentle on my town.” Rade Serbedzija also stands out as the doctor determined to increase global access to affordable drugs.
But when completely fictitious moments run beside real footage and scenes closely based on reality, viewers must detangle the truth. It’s safe to assume that OutKast’s Andre Benjamin didn’t march downtown in a turtle suit. And it’s unlikely that Charlize Theron raced up Denny Way in a cloud of teargas. But did a cop in riot gear really whack a pregnant bystander in the gut with his baton, causing her to lose her baby? Did a news reporter suddenly discover her social consciousness, risking her job to make a brave statement? That’s less clear.
It could seem early to blend history and legend so blatantly, and of course only eyewitnesses can know what really happened and how it felt to be in Seattle as November turned into December 1999. Audiences will get a taste of it in May, however, when Battle in Seattle arrives in theaters. And whether they are inspired by biodegradable paper towel and energy-efficient light bulbs to quit their jobs at Starbucks, volunteer for nonprofits, or march on the streets, at the very least they’ll remember the WTO and the power that united and passionate peaceful civilians have to make themselves heard.
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