28. Commune (2005, Documentary)In the past year or so, it has come to my attention that even if I am not exactly a hippie, I do exhibit some hippie-ish tendencies (into which we need not delve further!). Anyway, one aspect of hippiedom that has always both intrigued and repelled me (not in an "Ewww, gross!" sense, more in a "Wow -- that lifestyle would just NOT work for me sense) is the commune. Although I am way into people generally looking out for one another and embracing all sorts of families, I am perplexed by how often communes seem to begin with completely sexist models of living and how quickly they become totally corrupt or anarchic. Call it human nature, I guess.
Anyway, Commune did not disappoint. While the structure could have used some work (I would have liked to see a slightly stricter narrative structure; it was kind of hard to get a linear grasp on anything), I really enjoyed the integration of past and present interviews and pictures/film. The director seemed to focus on the motif of how the desire for freedom can actually become really stifling and restrictive (seen mostly in the examples of lovers who felt like they couldn't make an agreement to be exclusive and Elsa Marley's (one of the founders of the commune at Black Bear Ranch) desire to create art). Maybe I enjoyed it because that's one of the things that worries me so much about these structures.
Overall, the director did a good job of presenting a fairly balanced view of things, highlighting both highs and lows, seeing people talk about great experiences and sa dones, people who loved the lifestyle and those who hated it (Michael Moore he was not!). And this movie was just the right length! 78 minutes -- perfection. Long enough that I feel like we really got into some neat stuff, but short enough that it didn't become boring.
Final Grade: A-
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