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.

Very personal and touchy. Philip's story is fascinating. It was amazing to discover how beautiful parts of Texas are. Also amazing opportunity to meet the crew and ask question at SXSW.

This movie could be best described as The Socialist Manifesto illustrated by Reubens. The filmmakers created a beautiful film that shows the value of what we must to preserve - albeit with highly questionable scientific, ecological, biological, and social data. The conclusion / findings were obviously pre-determined, as the information selected for the movie re-enforced the open border solution (but then we must keep in mind that two members of the crew were children of parents who entered the country illegally). They included politicians who vilified the President without producing any information about the negative affects of illegal immigration.

In my opinion, they should have focused on the river and an honest assessment of the ecological impact. Having a bird-watcher talking in a very sad voice about the impact a wall would have on bird populations is a bit silly, as the impact would be minimal on the bird populations. Having someone point out that Americans will not be able to enjoy the pristine northern shore of the river, then show people fishing on a heavily littered southern shore that is bare of all flora and fauna doesn't really make the case very well.

Maybe their next movie can focus on how we could increase the rate of legal immigration and temporary workers, eliminating the need for fences and walls.

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.