The Weather Underground

2003 Documentary

Sam Green and Bill Siegel's documentary about a radical group whose stated goal was the violent overthrow of the U.S. government details a valuable chapter in the history of the '60s protest movement and leftism in America. The Weathermen were a faction of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), one of the driving forces behind the period's mass protests against social injustice and the Vietnam War. Frustrated by SDS's adherence to non-violent dissent, the Weathermen broke off and adopted a more combative approach. As the student protests ebbed in the 1970s, the group went underground and shifted tactics, embarking on a terrorist campaign against the U.S. government. For years, the Weather Underground evaded the authorities' grasp, even as it pulled off high-profile bombings against government targets. Their momentum petered out in the 1980s, as one by one the organization's members surrendered after years on the run. The Weather Underground uses extensive archival footage and revealing interviews with the surviving members to trace the group's evolution and place their actions in the context of the period's tumultuous events. more..

Director: Sam Green

Reviews

  • One of the most thought-provoking documentaries of recent times.

    Desson Thomson - The Washington Post

    20 January 2013

  • Whether the protest movement hastened the end of the Vietnam War is hard to say, but it is likely that Lyndon Johnson's decision not to run for re-election was influenced by the climate it helped to create.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    20 January 2013

  • Essential viewing for anyone who wants to know the roots -- and perils -- of modern political dissent.

    Ty Burr - The Boston Globe

    20 January 2013

  • Powerful and searching documentary.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    20 January 2013

  • This terrifically smart and solid piece of filmmaking lets the former Weathermen, now in their 50's and older, speak into the camera and reveal a bit of their personal histories as well as what the peace movement meant to them.

    A.O. Scott - The New York Times

    20 January 2013

Awards

  • Best Documentary, Features

    Academy Awards (2004)

     
  • Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

    Directors Guild of America (2004)

     
  • Feature Documentaries

    International Documentary Association (2003)

     
  • Sam Green

    Locarno International Film Festival (2003)

  • Sam Green

    San Francisco Film Critics Circle (2003)