Earth Liberation Front (ELF)—an environmentalist coalition that adopted extreme tactics characterized as eco-terrorism by authorities—is the focus of filmmaker Marshall Curry's If a Tree Falls, which personalizes ELF's history by tracing the group's evolution through the experiences of Daniel McGowan, a member who participated in early operations before dropping out. Years later, McGowan was turned in—by a former comrade who became a government informant—and indicted under charges that could carry a long prison term. Interweaving excerpts throughout from interviews with McGowan and his family as his case heads toward a resolution, the documentary recounts how the ELF progressed from nonviolent civil disobedience, which won it little recognition but some serious police counterattacks, to acts of arson against perceived enemies (including a logging operation, a forestry service station, a car dealership, a slaughterhouse, and a ski lodge)—acts that put the ELF in the FBI's crosshairs. While the film does question whether authorities overreached in the charges lodged against ELF members—since the group targeted property and never injured anyone—the filmmakers also afford time to law enforcement officials to argue their case, making this a more nuanced than polemical documentary. DVD extras include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, extended interviews, an update on McGowan, and a Q&A with Curry and cinematographer Sam Cullman. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
If a Tree Falls
(2011) 85 min. DVD: $29.99. Oscilloscope Laboratories (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 6
If a Tree Falls
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