Mercury 13

This was a good documentary. I never knew about the Mercury 13 before I saw this film. The film was well done, the interviews were captivating and I could help but wish these women had gotten their chance.

Interesting documentary. Liberals will be angered at the way these women were treated and inspired by their courage. Far right wing conservatives will be angry because they are knuckle-dragging reactionary maniacs. My takeaway is quite different from both American camps. I can't understand why these women continued to be patriotic to a society that treated them so badly and why they were somewhat disappointed when the first woman in space was Soviet and not American. I also question the sincerity and inclusiveness of the American bourgeois feminist movement. Documentaries like this point out the injustices of the American capitalist system, but they do not question the fundamental injustice of capitalism itself and of America's backward and reactionary nature. The Americans only did anything remotely progressive because the Soviets embarrassed them and they were forced to by their example as well as by burgeoning social movements and organized labor in the US.

I appreciate the story Mercury 13 is trying to tell. It was great to see the actual members of the Mercury 13 participate. Their perspectives were the strongest part of the documentary, it added authenticity and emotion.

Unfortunately the pacing was all over the place for me. The first eight minutes were so slow I almost turned it off, and there was similar drag in the middle. While it ended on a hopeful and inspirational note, the documentary as a whole felt somewhat bland and didn't quite live up to the potential of its subject matter.

Overall, it's worth watching for the story and the women behind it, but I just wish the delivery had been as powerful as the message.

Listless and artless and toneless. Nice artwork though.

5/4/18. Interesting to watch, from a historical perspective. it is sad and a tragedy that these women didn't get a chance to go into space because of the sexual discrimination at the time. Reasons for denying them the chance now seem totally preposterous. However, the interviews of these women probably could have been done better.