\You say you got a real solution/ Well you know we'd all love to see the plan."" -Lennon/McCartney
The Beatles words still ring true today, especially in ""Making Revolution."" The movie presents a scenario in which the youth of America have finally broken their image of laziness and selfishness. Or at least that's how it appears. ""Making Revolution"" poses the question of what would happen if for just one week, people attempted to bond together for a greater cause. Directed by Daniel Klein, the film is a story of activism and activists, presenting both its benefits and its possible pitfalls.
The film, which was filmed largely in the Madison area, tells the story of an organization that brings together activists and protesters from all walks of life into one collaborative group named KAOS (Killing the Apathy of Society). KAOS holds its first world summit in upstate New York, where hundreds of disillusioned youth show up. Day by day the unity of KAOS unfolds, and it becomes clear that everyone has a different agenda and level of commitment to the cause. The inside of the organization also begins to break apart, as the heads of KAOS begin to question each others' motives and beliefs.
""Making Revolution"" is an eerily relevant film, even though its production was in progress well before the United States was at war with Iraq. The film raises some big questions about the apathy of the younger generation and the concept of a new era of activism. Is it better to be apathetic than to join a cause simply for the title of activist? Is the current generation really as apathetic and self- absorbed as some say it is?
These are complex questions that may have no concrete answers, and no one expects one movie to provide them. In this reviewer's opinion, the best movies are those that raise questions, not answer them. So in that light ""Making Revolution"" is a success. The largest problem with the film is that it features a traditional narrative story and it has a documentary feel to it that at times prevents the audience from fully identifying with the main characters. Many of the organizers of KAOS deserve more screen time than they are given. There are many strong performances in this movie, (especially by Mahershalal Ali as Mac Laslow, the charismatic spokesperson of KAOS), but the film could have been more interesting if some of the other characters' motives and feelings on activism were expanded.
On the whole, ""Making Revolution"" is a worthwhile and relevant film. Political movies often make the mistake of becoming too preachy or claiming to have all the answers. ""Making Revolution"" comes to that line but never crosses it; it presents some possible answers, but it ultimately leaves a wide array of possibilities for why the KAOS revolution falls apart.
