disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

SILVER DOLLAR ROAD -- Raoul Peck's Latest Documentary Undermines Its Essential Story With an Uneven Approach

10/12/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Silver Dollar Road has everything it would have taken to be one of the top documentaries of the year — an incredible story, an acclaimed director, and themes that are on the top of the public’s consciousness. Yet, Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) struggles to cut to the heart of this story in a way that is satisfying and engaging, all too often settling for maudlin sentimentality over urgency.

Based on the article “Kicked Off the Land” by Lizzie Presser, the documentary tells the story of a family who battles to save their family’s land from land developers after they are targeted for harassment in an attempt to pressure them to move. What we see is an incredibly shocking story told through the lens of a family drama, and it doesn’t effectively contextualize this small story within its greater context.

The biggest issue with Silver Dollar Road is that Peck seemingly can’t settle on the tone he hopes to convey. Is this story supposed to be a tragic one, of a family whose plight is indicative of a massive issue in our society? Or is it a story of triumph by figures who have pushed back against authority to fight for their rights? While these two approaches are not mutually exclusive, Peck is unable to find the right mix of them to be stirring. 

There are several moments in which the subjects of the film get very passionate, and unfortunately, it is in these moments of anger that it is hardest to take the movie seriously. In many of the more stressful moments of the story, their reactions feel almost performative. That’s not to belittle their experience — as their anger is absolutely justified — but it often feels like they are beating a dead horse.
Picture
The more interesting aspects of the film are those which are less overtly political, yet still have subtle undertones of anger. One of the most powerful moments deals not with the generation who had been jailed for trying to save their land, but the younger generation, who raps about the effects this oppression has on them and their family. Sequences like this pose interesting questions about the core themes of legacy and systemic racism that has persisted through generations.

The cinematography by Katie Campbell and Mayeta Clark is great, if you’re approaching it from an aesthetic sense. The shots of the North Carolina waterfront are stunning. However, the documentary’s purpose is not to show off the land, but to capture this emotional battle over it. Thus, one could argue that the glossy cinematography and sweeping, sentimental score by Alexei Aigui undermine the severity of the issue.

Other parts of the movie feel shockingly amateur — especially from a filmmaker as prolific as Peck. There are some graphics and editing choices made in the film that you would expect to see in a PBS documentary, not one by an Academy Award nominee with the backing of a major streaming service.

Silver Dollar Road is a movie that’s hard to take seriously, which is a shame, considering the potential this story had to expose injustices to which our society often turns a blind eye. Still, if the only thing that comes out of this documentary is that it inspires viewers to read more deeply into this situation and Presser’s reporting, it will have succeeded.

Silver Dollar Road hits theaters on October 13 and streams on Prime Video beginning October 20.

Rating: 2.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About