Compliance

This movie is simply unbearable to watch. Yes, it is well made and has great acting. But whats infuriating is that it highlights how truly stupid and uneducated most Americans are. Yes, I understand given the notion of authority, people will listen to what they are told, but these people act like they have never heard of due process of law, innocent until proved guilty, asking for an attorney to be present or even asking for a policeman's badge number when he demands strange things. Only at a fast food restaurant, staffed by the most uneducated idiots could something like this occur. Or rather, I would like to think so. It seems as if the caller banks of what the people may have seen in TV shows to get them to follow his orders, but likewise, wouldn't TV at least remind people that officers don't strip search and spank people over like 40 missing dollars? The moral of the story is to stay in school and know your rights. Or you might wind up like these morons someday.

As a History Teacher of High School Students I am saddened by the lack of basic civic knowledge not afforded to the characters in this film and subsequently the real people who they portrayed. Ignorance is so depressing. Also this situation reminds us the the famous Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgrim Experiments of the 1960's, how easy it can be for authority figures to take control of unsuspecting or passive individuals. This film is important to see and the graphic nature is vital to its message. Look what the citizens of Germany allowed to happen the the 1930's and the tragedy of the followers of Jim Jones to name a few examples.

I saw this today at the Traverse City Film Festival. About 1/4 of the audience walked out before the film ended. I do not disagree that the movie is difficult to watch, but I think you can hardly review a movie where you walked out without seeing the entire film. This film makes an important and real point... that many of us will, when listening to what we assume to be an authority figure, do things which we know are wrong. It also has two characters who say in one way or another "No, I will not do this." Bravo for them and may each of us feel empowered to do the same, if not by our own ethical standards, then by viewing this movie and realizing how devastating the consequences can be.

One would like to be able to say "No one could be so stupid" but the fact that this type of event (involving, reportedly, even more degrading assaultive behavior than portrayed in this film) has happened repeatedly in this country (over 70, according to the closing credits) shows that wish to be untrue. I hope every young person will view this film and be brave enough to refuse any authority figure who makes demands on them which seem to go beyond the bounds of the law and good sense.

And don't ever talk to a law officer in detail without your attorney being present (and no, I am not a lawyer.)

"Compliance" is a movie that requires RAMPANT stupidity and naivete. I don't think it is calculable the amount of pure unadulterated stupidity that is required for the events of this movie to occur. What's sad is that I believe that such events could occur. I do believe that you could easily get four or five morons to go along with such a patently illegal and perverse plot.

If you haven't watched it, it's about a twisted pervert who poses as a police officer over the phone and accuses an employee (Dreama Walker) of stealing money. In most places a stunt like this could last about thirty seconds, but in this anonymous rinky-dink town in Ohio it went on for hours. All it took was a naive restaurant manager (Ann Dowd) and about four equally idiotic others to get a full grown woman to strip and put herself through utter humiliation for some money that was allegedly stolen.

"Compliance" tells a sad tale of the human willingness to obey authority to any extent. And it portrays several individuals who, if a gene pool needs to be erased from existence, theirs certainly does--starting with the store manager, Sandra (Ann Dowd).

A very authoritative sounding man pretended to be a cop investigating a theft at a ChickWich (a cheaper Chick Fil-A type restaurant). He made all of his accusations over the phone while a very compliant manager aided him in his investigation. The "investigation" should've been over the moment he asked Sandra to check Becky's (Dreama Walker) stuff, but it wasn't. When the investigation got to the point of a strip search that Sandra and her shift supervisor, Marti (Ashlie Atkinson), both sat in on, there were no more limits to how far these imbeciles would go to comply with authority.

I've rated this movie highly because it stirred and disturbed me deeply. I have no problem saying that I was triggered by this movie. I hated every aspect of what was going on, yet I was impressed how this movie could rouse me to such heights of anger without being propagandistic or plain trash. I think this movie accomplished what it set out to do, even if it was just to get people angry and call the characters s**t-for-brains. But I do believe the movie had a bigger aim, which was to show how easily people will comply with the most absurd demands of authority, and I, for one, believe it.

"Compliance" is a film that is painfully difficult to watch at times, because of the nature of what we see and knowing it's all true. The initial reaction is to scoff at what takes place on screen, because it's so preposterous. It's hard to believe people wouldn't wake up sooner and realize what was going on or even have a basic understanding of the law and procedure. But, basic research shows it is all true. The fact this could happen is a testament to the gullibility of the American public, and that's the most painful part of all.