Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle for Expression

Max Good's documentary focuses on an unusual subculture of crime fighters: self-appointed anti-graffiti activists who seek to erase the vandalism scribbled on walls, fences, and lampposts across America. Vigilante Vigilante follows three of these individuals in their lonely (and sometimes angry) crusades to clean up their communities, making clear that there is little glamour and excitement found in this form of crime fighting—mostly it involves spraying over the tags with silver or gray paint. Unfortunately, this compounds the problem if the original surface is a different color, not to mention if the vigilantes are undertaking their actions without permission from the owners of the tagged properties. These activities contradict Good's personal biases on the matter: “Graffiti represents a voice, a free voice,” he says in the opening narration, but—to his credit—he makes no attempt to depict his subjects as kooks (although one of them believes that homemade signs taped to lampposts seeking information on lost dogs are just as bad as gang-inspired spray-paint imagery). An interesting look at an offbeat subject, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)