Street Fight (2005)

People are voting emotionally.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This was a great documentary, as it achieved its purpose of energizing me and sucking me into the message. In this sense, the film was a total success and I am glad I watched it.As an American, I am ashamed of many of the images I saw in this film. Now I am NOT saying that I thought Cory Booker was the man for the job of mayor--I really don't know everything he stood for in the campaign, though he did have a very likable style. However, even if he were a Nazi or Anarchist or transvestite or Satan himself, this didn't justify the incumbent's political machine abusing its power and ignoring the US Constitution. No matter how good a man Mayor James was, nothing justified his using police power to limit his competition's access to the people or limit the freedom of the press. This film should be proof enough that indictments should have been handed down on the James' administration and the police officers involved. Seeing this crap on camera is something nothing James or his people could justify--no matter how "good" or qualified he was.Though not illegal, the James campaign also was ugly in its bold-faced race-baiting, Jew-baiting, gay-baiting and class warfare--though Booker was Black, not Jewish and NOT gay--nor should any of this matter!! Unfortunately, while sick, this is something that cannot be eliminated from politics--after all, there is a First Amendment freedom of speech which allows them to distort or defame--the SAME amendment that supposedly ensures Booker supporters freedom of the press! As an effective tool to energize the viewer, this film is it. I was totally angered by the old-time dirty politics (such as bringing in "volunteers" from out of state) and had hoped my country was better than this. Unfortunately in Newark it isn't. Also, if the purpose was also to get you to like Booker, it sure did that as well. Sure, I know that to some extent this must be propaganda and we may have never seen the real Booker. But it was very, very effective and persuasive positive propaganda. Too bad James appeal to the baser instincts of voters worked.UPDATE--I was happy to see that Jame WAS recently indicted and convicted of corruption charges. This was not related to the rights violations seen in this film, however and he currently faces 27 months in prison. I hope every second of it is agony--after all, he owed more to the people. Also, Booker was finally elected mayor in 2006--and I'm sure this film had a lot to do with it.PS--If you are curious, read up on ex-DC mayor Marion Barry and Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick (who is currently in jail). Apparently James isn't the only one of his kind. We deserve so much better.

Anybody familiar with Michael Moore or Fredrick Wiseman or any other documentary filmmaker know that the documentary genre is a very powerful medium. I just watched the Film Street Fight, a film recommended to me by nice little online show called the Cinefiles, a group amateur critics who get together and talk about film. In their political documentary piece, they spent a good amount of time discussing the film and I said to myself, I have to see this film. The film is absolutely heartbreaking on how dirty a political campaign can be. With two political candidates of the same race running for major of Newark, NJ, the race turns into a battle of "authentic ethnicity". Cory Booker, the lighter skinned man running for mayor, runs a clean campaign about fighting against poverty and crime. I can't stress enough how good and powerful of a film this is…Check it out…And think to yourself…How far off is this going to be from the Hilary vs. Obama presidential campaign??? Oh yeah if you want to see the talk of the Cinefiles...either look it up on Youtube...Or go to myspace.com/cinefiles

It is not often that you get to see what goes on in the day to day of a campaign. In Street Fight, we see a newcomer trying to unseat an incumbent that has a 16-year hold on office, and is not afraid to use all the power at his disposal to crush this upstart. In addition, those who have been feeding at the trough of city government for those 16 years do not want their gravy train stopped. Dirty politics, dirty government, and a dirty city badly in need of repair. It makes for a compelling directorial debut and a story that should make all of us want to fight for the person we most want to see in office. It takes more than a vote to change a government!

This film does for politics on a local level what "The War Room" did for presidential politics, providing a fascinating in-depth look behind the scenes of campaigns and elections. I agree that "Street Fight" is a bit one-sided, though part of that is by necessity, as sharpe james' staff denied the director any kind of access, which the film shows in a series of outrageous scenes. And besides, documentaries in recent years have generally adhered to a more op-ed kind of style (e.g. fahrenheit 911). But whatever your politics, Street Fight's subject matter is something you haven't seen before, and it is extremely well-done and vastly entertaining. see it.