Review: SUPERPOWER (2008/2013)

[Mark Leeper]

SUPERPOWER (2008/2013)
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: Sometimes the most stringent argument is not
the most effective one. Barbara-Anne Steegmuller
directs, as well as co-writes and co-produces,
SUPERPOWER, a film which is virtually a catalog of
charges of the United States misusing and abusing its
military power all around the world with a government
loyal only to the military industrial complex. To her
credit Steegmuller assembles interviews from a stellar
collection of dozens of experts, largely dissidents,
including Noam Chomsky, Sergei Khrushchev, and Cindy
Sheehan. Rating: 0 (-4 to +4) or 4/10

It is a common mistake in documentary film for the filmmaker to be
enraged by some situation and to bring his or her case to the
screen as a totally one-sided argument. There can be a litany of
charges against some political enemy. Very little consideration is
given to presenting the counter arguments. That is not surprising.
The filmmaker is trying to expose some terrible wrong. Why give
the other side airtime? Well, there is a very good reason to
present the opposing side's arguments. It gives the viewer
confidence that the opposing point of view has been considered.
And if the viewer starts supplying his/her own alternate point of
view it calls into question for the viewer the filmmaker's
objectivity. The 80% that the viewer would trust the filmmaker on
is actually discredited by the 20% the viewer questions.

"America's Quest for Global Dominance through the Military-
Industrial Complex." That rather salty blurb on the box tells it
all.

SUPERPOWER is a documentary fueled more by rage than by objective
argumentation. The viewer is subjected to a disorganized rain of
charges against the United States. Watching it I wanted to stop
Barbara-Anne Steegmuller (director/co-writer/co-producer), with
questions and even a few "yes, but..." comments. But of course in
a film and on video that is impossible. For example in an
interview one April Najjaj says that the United States claims to
support democracies, but the only democracies in the Middle East
are Iran and Palestine. I would say that those are highly
questionable democracies at best and that if she cannot think of a
third country in the Middle East that is a democracy, why would I
even want to listen to her? By presenting one long catalogue of
tirades Steegmuller preaches to the choir and what may be good
arguments are wasted.

I have no question that Steegmuller strongly believes the case she
makes, and perhaps much is true in her charges. She tarnishes her
argument by not giving at least a little rebuttal from the opposing
point of view and from the shrillness of her presentation. This is
a film that will please those who already agree with her but will
alienate at least some fence sitters.

The interviews presented in the film are from 32 different
witnesses, mostly activists. Their testimony is full of
indictment, but without a lot of documentation or evidence for
most. This film is a scattershot look at a very large number of
accusations against the United States, mostly familiar and probably
no small number of them have more than a little basis in truth. It
is a good summary of what arguments are being made. It could serve
as an introduction of the far Left's view of the United States.
But my recommendation to the viewer is to not take the charges at
face value without further confirmation. I rate SUPEROWER a 0 on
the -4 to +4 scale or 4/10. SUPERPOWER is currently in re-release
on DVD and Digital platforms.


[Full disclosure: I come to this film with a strong skepticism that
the United States has any malicious policy to achieve the power to
dominate the world. Under some leaders it does try to use its
power in questionable ways, but I do not believe there is a unified
conspiracy behind those actions. The United States does
occasionally unilaterally elect itself the world's policeman in a
world that unfortunately desperately needs a policeman. In the
Bosnian Intervention Europe had wrung its hands for many long
months and asked why did the United Stated do nothing to stop a
conflict that was much closer to their doorsteps. Finally the
United States did intervene and stopped the violence. The is a
country very different from the one Steegmuller describes.]

Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1311717/combined>


Mark R. Leeper
mle...@optonline.net
Copyright 2013 Mark R. Leeper

[insta...@gmail.com]

I support this style of argument which so called one-sided if it is based on facts and common sense, here Barbara-Anne Steegmuller concerns over the activities in recent past but by favoring the fact that misuse of power bring war and could create irreversible destruction to many societies even if its a evil or ill judgement of a single powerful personality should all pay the price for that mistake, it covers how industry is interlinked to these practices or decisions and what could be face of these industries in near future will they become more powerful enough to facilitate thermonuclear war or have one by them by just bribing the congressmen so this documentary is peeled off the layers one by one of the Government no matter it turned out bad but shown what and how it actually was.