The River and the Wall

This was a beautiful documentary, with a great message. There is a lot of insisting that a boarder wall would solve the United States problems, the doc goes into how a large structure like the wall would really be a pain in the ass, and more of a problem than what it's worth. But the doc isn't all about politics it also has large chunks of the doc with great nature and wildlife footage bundled in.

Part of me has been on the fence about the giant immigration problems dominating the news over the last few months. But seeing this movie has literally opened my eyes. The vistas and panoramic shots left me gasping in my theater seat and by the way DO NOT watch this on a phone or computer. Go to a theater and see it large. Everybody has an agenda, and most of the people in front of TV cameras these days are shouting and gesticulating about theirs. Here is a lower key, rational, thoughtful and emotionally careful presentation that does not try to be authoritative or have the last word. It asks you to think and reflect and accept.

Everyone should see this movie, it is beautifully done. A very straightforward beautiful inquiry into what a wall really means and is it even possible given the realities of the geography.

The cinematography is as beautiful as the land and the river. It's an engrossing look at the place and the habitat, going far beyond what words can convey.

This picture of the place, the river, the land, the plants, the animals, the weather -- that's the great strength of the film. The river and the adjacent lands and people are the stars of this film. Embedding these in a journey provides a strong framework.

About half the film is spent on political preaching and talking heads, overlapping. I'm totally in agreement with the sermon, but no one else's mind is likely to be changed. I'd have kept the focus on nature, which I think brings more understanding to the table. Perhaps I knew too much already -- friends who are normally sensitive to preaching weren't as bothered.

Go to see it and enjoy it, but go prepared to tune out the political preaching unless you are one of the rare undecided birds or need to study the issues further.

Seems like the opinions expresssed here were either 100% favorable or 100% UNfavorable. Nothing in between. The unfavorable complained about political issues, ignoring the fact that some Republicans and some residents who lived along the Rio Grande expressed opinions that were not nearly as toxic as some of what was posted here. Those who gave favorable reviews seemed to stay away from arguing politics and focused on what the movie looked like. It is just a movie, after all. The anger expressed in some comments does not belong here -- or anywhere else. We are supposed to be able to discuss differing points of view without getting nasty about it.