wintermancer
Here we have a completely lopsided documentary starring Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, and of course Oliver Stone as the on-camera host. It was nice to see Oliver sitting and talking to the all the major players of South America and Cuba. But so what? Stone implies that because Fox News is a completely transparent propaganda machine that Hugo is not a dictator but a misunderstood hero of the continuing Bolivarian and communist revolutions. At least he is right about Fox news. He seems to get almost every other fact about Chavez and Morales wrong. To make Chavez shine like a new penny, Stone includes interviews with Christina and Lula. Pure farce.I was hoping to learn something about Chavez and Venezuela, something that might change my opinion. I wanted to learn about the irrevocable changes to the political system there. But what I got was a pathetic excuse for Stone to schmooze with various heads of states as he toured South America as the other kind of American.This is a terrible, self-serving documentary that has no place in an intelligent discussion of Chavez. There is no journalism here, no fairness, and nothing to learn. Just a puzzle and perhaps the end of a career for Stone.
gridoon2018
While "South Of The Border" is an undeniably interesting and occasionally even chilling documentary, especially when it chronicles the results of IMF's involvement in the internal affairs of most Latin American countries (having been kicked off by most of these countries, those glorified loan sharks are now starting to cast their spell over Europe, aided and abetted by the EU's current masochistic worship of "free markets" and disdain for the "social state"; if, as they say, History Repeats Itself, the next few years look especially bleak for all Europeans!), it is just too slight, and way too short, to have the impact that its subject deserves: 78 minutes are not nearly enough for an in-depth analysis of these phenomena. What's more, Oliver Stone spends more than half of those minutes of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, leaving far too little time to focus on the other figures he interviews: all of them get short-changed, but I would particularly like to see more of the two Argentinian leaders, Cristina Kirchner (who is one smart babe!) and her husband. Also welcome would have been more interviews with political scientists & professors, as well as simple-everyday people, in place of scenes whose only purpose is to show the leaders' simple-everyday side, such as Chavez riding a bike. Considering the time and effort that Stone invested into making this film, it ultimately comes across as a bit of a missed opportunity, though it's still worth watching. **1/2 out of 4.
Lee Eisenberg
Argentinian ex-president Néstor Kirchner's death last month brings to mind his role as one of the progressive leaders who rose to prominence in South America in the early 2000s. Oliver Stone's "South of the Border" looks at this leftward swing.Prior to the release of "South of the Border", I had heard both praise of it and criticism of it, both coming from sources that one would expect. If you know nothing about US policies in Latin America, then the documentary might be a little hard to understand. But this is definitely something that everyone should see. Stone interviews a number of the leftist leaders who rose to power in South America in the early 21st century: Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales, to name a few. The leaders explain how the US had kept Latin American economies beholden to the IMF, and often kept despotic regimes in power to enforce its will. To be certain, Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner details exactly how the IMF sent Argentina's economy into turmoil.Part of the documentary's focus is on the misleadingly negative portrayal of people like Hugo Chávez in the media (and in particular, how they manipulated footage of the failed 2002 coup against him to make it look as though his supporters attacked protesters).The criticism of the documentary has been that Stone does not interview critics of the leftist leaders. Of course, we have heard mostly criticism of these leaders - of which Stone shows an example from a Fox News talk show - so this documentary IS the alternative view. As Stone also notes, the US ally Colombia always gets a free pass despite its atrocious human rights record. I certainly recommend "South of the Border". And remember: Bush, you are a donkey!
pazu7
The Revolution is not being televised. But thanks to Oliver Stone I can see some of it anyway. This film clearly exposes the growing gap between our "news" media and what's really happening in the world. It's not just the lies from the usual Fright Wing suspects; it's the complicity of even our 'alternative' media when even my precious Maddow mouths flippant digs on Hugo Chavez's refusal to allow the renewal of a license of an opposition TV station. She either doesn't know or doesn't care that the station in question makes FOX look rational.What is happening in South and Central America is inspiring and newsworthy. So why do I have to go to a theater to see it? This information should be on 60 Minutes or PBS at the least. And why the shallow critical dismissal from such supposed media luminaries as the NY Times and LA Times, while the mindless pablum that dominates the major theaters is being discussed as if it comprises more than 90 minutes of cinematic wanking? South Of The Border contains real conversations with the men that our corporate owned government is trying to paint as tyrants and petty dictators. They are in fact the duly elected leaders of a revolutionary trend started by Fidel Castro and renewed by Hugo Chavez. They have ousted the empire and proved they can function just fine without our imperialist interventions. They have also disproved the myth of free market solutions for their societal problems. Perhaps this is the reason the official word is no word at all. Socialism is scary, especially when it makes people lives better.This film is one of the few moments of reality you're likely to see on the big screen right now. So catch it, or at least get the DVD.Ignore the critics this time. Better to trust their opinions on who should play the next Hulk than on matters of political relevance.
AD
