The Big Uneasy

 

Story:

“The first documentary from long-time “mockumentarian” Harry Shearer, “The Big Uneasy” follows three remarkable people—the leaders of two scientific investigation teams, and one whistleblower—as they reveal the true story of why New Orleans flooded, and why it could happen in your town, too.” (Filmmaker’s Web site, thebiguneasy.com)

Review:

The Big Uneasy is a captivating documentary that traces the scientific investigation into why Hurricane Katrina inflicted so much damage and also seeks to explore the nature of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The Corp is depicted in the film as a heavily bureaucratic and somehow, in the eyes of the government, infallible organization that not only failed to build adequately safe levees, but also forcefully silenced scientists who spoke up against their organization and its disaster prevention methods.

With the high stakes of a heavily populated region’s safety involved, heroic good guys, and a powerful, faceless organization that opposes the protagonists, the film’s David vs Goliath nature makes the story easily relatable to anyone who goes into it with an open mind.

One downside to the film’s ‘little guy vs big guy’ tone is that the doc does such a great job depicting the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers as an irresponsible, unfixable organization, that by that by the time the filmmakers tack onto their thesis the hope that someday the organization could improve, it almost feels like it would be impossible to impart any real change.

Regardless of how the antagonist is shown, the real heart of the film is the three main characters. Shearer traces the trio’s stories during their post-Katrina work as well as how their decisions to speak out significantly affected their lives and careers. It is in the presentation of these three people that Shearer sets his film apart and gives viewers a reason to watch and listen to the film’s message.

The film features several other personal moments that turn out very well, notably the “Ask a New Orleanian” group interviews where Shearer lets a small group of residents speak their minds, dispel myths, and tell the audience about their experiences since the 2005 tragedy.

As for the film’s technique, the interviews were shot well and excellent stock footage punctuated several of the points very well. Similarly, the film starts out with some comprehensive computer generated maps of how the flooding spread during the storm.

A great deal of research supplements the documentary’s visuals, and with help from a number of official documents, including the thorough report of the film’s whistleblower, Shearer tells an excellent story.  The documents are brought to with the voices of a few prominent actors, including the perfectly cast Wendell Pierce (of The Wire fame), whose voiceover work stands in for a prominent scientist who declined to appear in the film but whose writings add a tremendous amount of detail.

The documentary as a whole does explore a number of really interesting topics. Plus, watching someone investigate a cover-up is always entertaining when the documentary is as well-researched and supported by powerful interviews like the ones seen here.

Reviewed by Ryan Pollyea for Documentary Film Online on August 22, 2011

In Conclusion: