The Bang Bang Club Directed by: Steven Silver Starring: Malin Akerman, Taylor Kitsch, Ryan Phillippe Rating: NR Release Date: April 22, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 7/10
MY THOUGHTS:The Bang Bang Club follows several wartime photographers and the emotional toll being "objective" observers takes on their personal and professional lives. By all accounts, this movie deserves to be made. Part of me thinks that it would function better as a documentary, but either way, these people's stories deserve to be told.
Kevin Carter's story alone (for those who are unaware of Carter's work, I won't spoil it for you) is a curiously tragic tale that calls into question the ethics and the moral obligations of documentarians. As soon as I heard that The bang bang Club was going to address the life and times of Kevin Carter, I was interested in the movie, but truth be told, I'm just as excited to hear about more members of the Bang-Bang Club. I wish i could say that I knew more about them, but aside from Carter's personal tragedy, I can't say that I'm very aware.
Furthermore, this movie has the potential to create discussion. The themes and problems highlighted in this trailer still exist today and it's important to recognize the problems that still face developing nations and wartorn countries. Still, judging from the trailer, The Bang Bang Club manages to do this without being too preachy. In fact, my only complaint about the trailer has to do with the technical aspects of it and the poor mixing of the audio and dialogue. Aside from that, The Bang Bang Club looks a compelling, complicated, and introspective look into the morality and ethics of an often overlooked profession.