The NZA Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 One year after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, director Spike Lee presents a four-hour, four-part chronicle recounting, through words and images, one of our country's most profound natural disasters. In addition to revisiting the hours leading up to the arrival of Katrina, a Category 5 hurricane before it hit the coast of Louisiana, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts tells the personal stories of those who lived to tell about it, at the same time exploring the underbelly of a nation where the divide along race and class lines has never been more pronounced. 2T is so the money, and he doesnt even know it. I just about finished act 2 of 4, and I defintily wanna pick this one up tomororw if i can. Fuck anyone who paints this as the steretype of Spike Lee, that he's all about race and painting things anti-white (I never got any of that from Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X etc, personally); halfway through this big documentary, its been a fair, overall look at the event with footage id never before seen, and testimony from citizens from every social spectrum of the city. Best i can say so far is that its an honest look like the Noudet Brotehr's 9-11, not Moore's Farenheit like some id talked to already seem to have shapen it up to be. IIll try to make copies if/once i get it, but seriously, check it out if you want to see a piece of american history done right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganny McVagflaps Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 It really is a suburb piece of work. I wish everyone would watch it. Nick I can't remember how far into it it was so this may be a spoiler but... » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... « Do you remember the guy who's mother's house was boarded up and they said that there was nobody in there but his mother turned out to be there? Man, that fucking killed me... :civilwar: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganny McVagflaps Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 If you have HBO On Demand it's on there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 Shit...didnt get that far 2T, made it through the end of Act II and i had to take a break....that shit hits you hard. Im watching the rest when i sober up tomorrow hopefully (or soon thereafter) but i can already tell you having seen II of the IV that i'm buying this DVD and showing it to everyone....Spike outdid himself, i havent been this much on his junk since Malcolm X. Thanks again for puttin this one out there, 2T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycaon Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I gotta watch this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soldier of fortune Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Anyone got a torrent? Doubt we'd be able to get it over here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalHeart Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I gotta watch this. Same here. So Nick, from what you've said it's available on DVD already? Once payday rolls around again I'll have to get this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganny McVagflaps Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 It's on DVD for around $25. Well worth the price for all the content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalHeart Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Thank you, my 2Trackian love. I will pick this up Thursday fo sho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 13, 2007 Author Share Posted January 13, 2007 "That's how we do funerals down here. Sing the dirge, march, then celebrate. Its like, im sorry you're gone, but damn sure was good to know you." Act III was cool, it celebrated their culture, showing you its not all just poverty. This thing is full of moments. Right now, im particualary enjoying Act IV's Mardi Gras '06, i think my favotie t-shirst are between "FEMA evacuation plan: run, motherfucker, run" and ""I stayed in Nola for Katrina, and all i got was this lousy shirt, a new cadillac and a plasma TV." When i go down to Best buy to try to find a wii again, this is getting bought & shared. Was gonna wait a few weeks till Def Poetry Jam season 4 made it out, but this thing's amazing. It covers so many angles I never even thought of, and it does a fine job while its at it....how do global warming, loss of wetlands, and other environmental factors come into play? Why cant the army corps of engineers be held accountable? Why do states like Texas and New Mexico get subsidized for their resources, why 20-25% of power and oil come from this region, and nothing goes back into it, not even proper storm protection? Why does the lower 9th ward have around 55% high school dropout rate, even before the storm? So many angles, and Lee goes right to the parties with answers. "when barbara bush said we were better off now, because we were poor, i thought...I dont have much, but what i got, i got it honest. You're rich, how'd you get there...?" one spray painting: "How long did it take to clean the streets of (Iraq)? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind..." That, and the "(Sub)Mission Accomplished signs...hah. Still holdin out hope theyll have the quote Mos Def uses for Dollar day, where these rescuers go in, days and days later, and they find this old woman somehow in her house. Theyre shocked, right? Cant stop asking "Howd you survive? Where've you been?", to which she replies "Where've I been? Whee you been?" PS seeing Florida Urban Search and Rescue task force 1 at work was an awesome thing for me too, even if the segment was largely about some of the bodies they missed. i was in academy when some of my instructors were there. its why i want to be on that team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 13, 2007 Author Share Posted January 13, 2007 The story towards the end is crushing. Man comes back from WWII, buys a home for $10 down. Spends 30 years paying it off, raising his family...he's 80 now. He & his son has flood, homeowners, even insurance on the shed out back. They argued about what damage was water, what was wind, where the flooding stopped, a tree falling on the shed but leaving it "semi-repairable" and in the end? This man paid 50 years of allstate insurnace, never late once, recieved 2 checks totalling a little over a grand. Its like some folks cant get fucked enough times, from enough people. The segment at the end about how the levees are looking to be "built back to what they were by next hurricane season", which means itll give on a catergory 2. Then, some engineers go to the Netherlands, examine their defense system/levees, armored & reinforced, a small country that's 65% below sea level, built to withstand a storm that comes once in a thousand years or so, by their esitamtes. There's priorities. Didnt mean to make this a political thread, its just a really amazing piece, once again. Mad props to 2T for the finest film ive seen in a while, much less '06. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 I still haven't seen this. At the time it came out I was avoiding it b/c I didn't really want to see anything to do w/ Katrina, having lived through it and pretty much everyone around me having their own story to tell. I really wasn't interested in any racial slant Spike had to play. This was a fuck-up across the board and effected more than NOLA. But now that some years have gone by and The HBO show Treme is about to fictionalize/dramatize Katrina's toll on NOLA, now might be the time for me to seek out a torrent and DL. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 i can totally see why you'd be concerned, a lotta people take that as Spike's M.O. - ive enjoyed most of his movies ive seen, personally, but yeah, fear not...this is absolutely gut-wrenching, and politics do indeed come in here & there (inevitably) but given the weight of the material, i thought it was fairly objective, really powerful because of it. like i said, i still cant watch more than 1 part in a row. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 yeesh, maybe i will avoid this for a little while longer then. i've experienced and heard enough heartbreaking stories from katrina, and everyone starts recollecting katrina woes when another hurricane hits the gulf. seriously, the whole area was frozen in fear in 2008 when Gustav looked as if it was heading for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 perfectly understandable. i do wish i could get more locals out here to watch it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 perfectly understandable.i do wish i could get more locals out here to watch it, though. Why? I don't think most Floridians w/ their exposure to hurricanes would be too far removed from understanding the devastation of Katrina and how it was only amplified by the local, state, and federal governments (poor) response? Didn't Miami get hit w/ a decent sized hurricane in the 90s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 eh...Andrew fucked us right up, but apples & oranges, cause i dont recall us having any loss of life. there might've been, but it was nothing compared to Katrina. also, the response (as i recall) wasnt bad...looting & insurance scamming was a bigger problem than anything you guys had, honestly. its a documentary, its got spike lee's tag, etc....kind've a hard sell, i guess? ill be honest, im not really sure myself. i think i got dinghy (?) and bishopcruz to watch it, sen was all over it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the division of joy Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Code: http://rapidshare.com/files/59452646/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part14.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59457225/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part01.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59463550/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part03.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59467999/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part04.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59566162/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part05.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59571761/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part06.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59580897/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part07.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59586278/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part08.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59592475/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part09.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59597944/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part10.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59603430/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part11.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59609050/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part12.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59614037/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part13.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/59618548/When_the_Levees_Broke_upped_by_dabedoo.part02.rar Password Code: dabedoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Ah, good ole Andy. I'd definitely say Katrina was a unique hurricane disaster in terms of response. I meant I could see how it'd be a harder sell to those folks seeing as how people in hurricane prone areas at least have some tangible frame of reference for Katrina. I'm not all that sure I'd really want to see a doc on Haiti or the tsunami victims either. I feel I have a pretty good grasp of the suffering and pain those people have endured w/out sitting down for a few hours while some famous person narrates me through it. Know what I mean? Then again that could just be me. I'm not a big fan of depressing/sad films in general. I saw Schindler's List once. DOJ: There's also an active torrent on Demonoid I'm getting now. Thanks for the rapidshare links though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Double post. I know, it's a no-no. But I just watched the first hour and all I have to say is: Fuck you, Custer! Kidding. Sort of. The curiosity got to me and I had to check it out tonight. I have to say it is a much better doc than I expected. I never heard of people suspecting the levees were dynamited. It gave those people a voice but also the people who discredit it one as well. It also reminded me about the 1927 floods. I remember hearing about that disaster for the first not long after Katrina. It's got 3 more hours to go and I've already ran the emotional gamut: anger, frustration, heartbreak, pride, joy. More than once I had tears well up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 I never heard of people suspecting the levees were dynamited. It gave those people a voice but also the people who discredit it one as well. It also reminded me about the 1927 floods. yeah, that comes up a lot with people after it. bish in particular brought it up and did the dismissive "did they really say that? really?" shit which i totally don't get; this isnt "the gov't is administering AIDS!" shit, this is at least conspiracy concerns based on some shit that happened once. yeah, i gotta warn you...you gotta know this, but it gets no less bleak. the final act frustrates me the most for Spike's examination of the levees themselves, how they're being rebuilt at that time to the old shitty standard that failed when it was a class 3 or so, and then shows you what they could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Lindsay Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 this isnt "the gov't is administering AIDS!" shit, this is at least conspiracy concerns based on some shit that happened once. yeah, i mean could you imagine if the government knowingly infected black people with an STD? how crazy would that be?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 touche, miss cunterson. but syph in the day - or even say, claiming local gov't in urban cities didnt act on the rise of crack-cocaine for an inclination to let the lesser elements "weed themselves out" - is still a much more rooted complaint than imagining our gov't created AIDS or actually administers it. i cant stress enough, if anyone's crazy enough to believe either of those things, they're a coward for not working to take such an evil empire down, cause that shit would be awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Hakujin Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 yeah, that comes up a lot with people after it. bish in particular brought it up and did the dismissive "did they really say that? really?" shit which i totally don't get; this isnt "the gov't is administering AIDS!" shit, this is at least conspiracy concerns based on some shit that happened once. yeah, i gotta warn you...you gotta know this, but it gets no less bleak. the final act frustrates me the most for Spike's examination of the levees themselves, how they're being rebuilt at that time to the old shitty standard that failed when it was a class 3 or so, and then shows you what they could be. Yeah, all the stuff about the levees being rebuilt to "subpar" standards is old news to me and most residents at this point. Army Corps of Incompetents. It puts it into perspective though how monumental the levee failure was and what it says to the people of NOLA as to where they rank on the totem pole where the federal govt. is concerned. I think the part that really got to me was when the radio talk show host, Garland Robinette broke down. He was the only voice most of us could hear the day Katrina hit and for many days following. To see the man behind the voice that was a rock for me and so many others during that time break down into tears after talking about how the whole situation was handled really got me. Ultimately the doc left me feeling uplifted. To be reminded of how widespread and severe the destruction was and to look at the city now--we've come a very long way. It made me proud of how despite all the bullshit people endured the community is still alive and thriving; we're not 100% pre-Katrina, but damn close and on track to be even better than before. All in all it was an excellent doc and I'm glad I took you up on the recommendation, Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 shit, man. glad you enjoyed it, again i cant imagine it was easy to watch having lived through it. i try to spread it around since i know the reputation spike lee has gotten (fair or not) as polarizing/racially charged. for example, i dont think even i couldve made it through a politically charged moore-esque documentary like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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