Bisbee '17

source: Bisbee '17

Bisbee '17 is a documentary with unusual subject matter. Director Robert Greene has set his historical tale in the backwaters town of Bisbee, Arizona, where a little more than 100 years ago, specifically on July 12, 2017, a tragic event took place. On the above date, approximately 1300 miners affiliated with the then perceived radical union the Industrial Workers of America, were placed in railroad box cars and deported by the sheriff and a large number of deputized townspeople to the desert in New Mexico, with instructions never to return to the town. The miners, many of them immigrants, never did return to Bisbee but descendants of family members (on both sides) still reside there. Greene filmed the re-enactment of the deportation 100 years to the day it happened, conscripting locals to play different parts on each side of the political spectrum. I didn't see much archival footage (perhaps not much exists); in place of such footage are the re-enactments of the events leading up to the deportations of the miners, culminating in the victims being herded into box cars at gunpoint. Greene interviews his "players" who are largely divided as to whether the deportation was both just and necessary. Some current townspeople are of the opinion that had the miners not been deported, there would have been mass casualties as the striking miners were being egged on by dangerous radicals. On the other hand, others view the event as a tragedy, clearly illegal and unjustified. Greene suggests of course that there are parallels to what's going on today, with the Trump Administration's aggressive approach to enforcing immigration laws. While Bisbee '17 represents some fairly interesting material, it simply goes on for much too long. I would say if the film was 30 minutes shorter, it would have been much more effective. Greene drags things out with his re-creations and we get the whole point early on. Was it necessary for the town to go to such lengths to commemorate an event that happened so long ago and didn't result in any actual lives cut short? I would say no. Instead of "exorcising demons," this was simply an opportunity for the townspeople to basically entertain themselves along with the intrepid filmmakers. Bisbee '17 is worth a look despite its lugubrious pacing as it proves to be fairly interesting and educational subject matter.

BISBEE '17 (2018) - Part Documentary, Part Performance Art, Robert Greene's movie tells the tale of an Arizona mining town which, in 1917, forcibly expelled over 1,300 striking miners. The mining company, Phelps Dodge, conspired with local law enforcement to deputize hundreds upon hundreds of the local citizenry to enforce the deportation at gunpoint, threatening the workers with death should they ever return. To commemorate the centennial, Greene and his filmmakers staged a reenactment of the events and filmed it using locals as the 'cast'. From the very first shot of a school custodian directing his co-workers to get out of his shot, BISBEE '17 makes no secret of blurring the lines between filmmaker and subjects. The current occupants of the dying town (the mines have been shut for decades) range from relative newcomers, to direct descendants of the events of 1917 (in one case a family where one brother arrested his own sibling) to a retired exec of Phelps Dodge, who, unsurprisingly still defends the company's actions. As many of the workers who were deported were minorities, the symbolism with present day immigration struggles are never far from the surface - Arizona being a particular hotspot. As the 'actors' are being cast as specific individuals for the re-enactment, we garner details of what happened to not only those persons, but, in the town itself. The format is sure to offend Documentary purists, but it does make for an engrossing movie. Still, its overlong and one can certainly question how effective it is in truly bringing out the facts of what happened a century prior. Further, when do finally get to the re-enactment, it isn't nearly as forceful as one would like, what with the Documentary crew being visible during the crowd scenes, and the somewhat scattershot editing. BISBEE '17 is an effective history lesson, if unorthodox. It calls to mind the even more powerful AN ACT OF KILLING (the 2012 Doc about Indonesia) and the more 'pure' 2017 SPETTACOLO (by the Director of MARWENCOL) which was about a town in Italy which has bee putting on annual plays with its locals for decades. Greene's Documentary puts the spotlight on a little known historical event, even if one has to struggle with its POV.

It was a pleasure to work with the production company 4th Row films and director Robert Greene. I was cast in the re-enactment as one of the mine Bosses (John C. Greenway). Both Mary Ellen and I enjoyed being apart of the filming as well as watching it on the big screen. A great documentary on a conflict that was tucked away at the bottom corner of our state (Arizona). Mary Ellen did a awesome job playing the young man Fernando's Mom.👍🏼

This film was cleverly done thanks to Robert Greene and film crew and all their sponsors to make this happen. So many emotions erupted by those Bisbee town residents that became actors and made this film feel so alive!

The film makers took an interesting historical incident and in an effort to add "drama" or something ended up with a boring series of meandering shots that left me actually asking the television if we could please get on with the story. It opens with a long shot of a guy standing alone in front of an empty school building first asking some guy to keep everyone quiet and out of the shot, then stands there doing and saying nothing for what seems like forever and the rest proceeds at the same snails pace. When they got to some weird side story about Tombstone, AZ and how they're "Second Amendment City" I finally gave up. Apparently it is possible to make someone stop caring about a story simply through bad self-indulgent film making. Just read the Wikipedia article and you'll get the gist without all the "Indie Film" foolishness.

I read a good review in the paper. Since my mother and her family grew up in Benson Arz. I had a personal interest. I taped stories by my grandfather about his early days in Arizona but he never mentioned this part Of history. He was there when it happened. He worked in a mine and later on the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad. Perhaps he was embarrassed to talk about it. I thought the movie was very well done. The towns people made good actors. The story was a real human Interest story. It was so wrong to deport the striking miners. My today's standards it would have been a huge crime. According to my grandfather Southern Arizona was rough quite lawless. Vigalanties and Gun fights like Hollywood movies have depicted for decades.. I am sorry this movie did not get wide Coverage. Alan K Weeks

It seems like James West's role can be viewed as if he's the bad guy. Good guy or bad, he was performing like a man with a serious mission which added more drama to the film. Good job!

This is not a traditional documentary but it's done so uniquely. Bisbee is a great town that I have been to countless amount of times. You can see the conflicts the locals have regarding their stance on the deportations and the story is told from all sides. Even if you have never heard of bisbee, this movie is still a must watch.

It was alluded to in the movie, but was ultimately not portrayed. What happened to the deportees? Look it up and you will find out that some deportees MADE money from their deportation. There was a class action lawsuit with such substantial settlements that some bought ranches, started businesses, etc. Just wondering why this wasn't portrayed in the movie? Also, some deportees might have been emotionally damaged and moved around afterward, not being able to settle. Yet, if you read their prior history, they were moving around before. This was the Wild West after all. One more thing - Anarchists and Communists we're running riot throughout the country and the world. They were a real threat.