Movie Review/Ed Rampell

Queen Lears: Four Feisty Female Democratic ‘Insurgents’ Challenge the Congressional Status Quo

May Day seems like an auspicious time to release director/co-writer/ co-producer/co-cinematographer Rachel Lears’ Sundance award-winning documentary, “Knock Down the House,” which focuses on the primary challenges of four left-leaning women taking on establishment politicians in 2018’s Democratic primaries. Lears selected so-called “insurgents” who were backed by the liberal groups Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, political action committees that supported candidates who refused corporate and lobbyist funding.

Lears, who does not possess the gift of prophecy, chose a quartet of women without knowing if all – or any – of the contenders would win their primary and general election races. The foursome included: Amy Vilela, Paula Jean Swearengin, Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Fortunately, AOC’s upset victory over longtime congressional leader Joe Crowley – a corporate Democratic hack and hawk who stupidly voted to authorize the Iraq War and unleash the dogs of hell – turned the Bronx resident, the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, into a nationally prominent figure who has parlayed her high profile into a leadership platform. As such, the charming, attractive, strategic thinking, brainy Ocasio-Cortez dominates this 86-minute nonfiction film, which uses fly-on-the-wall cinema verite techniques to tell its exciting story.

I had the opportunity to personally encounter two of the challengers at a 2018 forum presented by progressive agent Paul Alan Smith at his ESA offices in L.A. Both Amy Vilela, who ran for a House seat in Nevada’s 4th district, and Paula Jean Swearengin, who opposed US Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), had compelling stories to tell. A health insurance tragedy induced Vilela to seek office. Similarly, another systemic outrage prompted Cori Bush (who was not present at Smith’s L.A. event) to run for the House in St. Louis: The 2014 police shooting death of unarmed black youth Michael Brown and the Ferguson movement that emerged afterwards. In terms of screen time, Ms. Bush arguably gets short shrift and is almost lost in “Knock”’s shuffle.

Although Paula Jean seems to be a WASP, her real life experiences in a devastated West Virginia were arguably more upsetting and oppressive than AOC’s growing up Puerto Rican in the Bronx.

In my opinion, the candidate/”character” with the most captivating personal tale to tell in her hillbilly twang is Swearengin, a coal-miner’s daughter with a harrowing saga of environmental, health and class struggle stories. Although Paula Jean seems to be a WASP, her real life experiences in a devastated West Virginia were arguably more upsetting and oppressive than AOC’s growing up Puerto Rican in the Bronx. She shows that instead of enjoying “white privilege,” exploited, immiserated Caucasians have far more in common with the wretched of the Earth than they do with the coal, oil, fracking and other tycoons that lay waste to West Virginia and beyond. I admit to being biased in favor of Paula Jean, a real working-class heroine, who I not only had the honor to meet at Smith’s panel but to interview twice. After AOC, Swearengin seems to have the most screen time in “Knock.”

Having said that, it’s the quartet’s sole winner, 29-year-old extremely photogenic knockout Alexandria who steals “Knock”’s show. There are great scenes of the contender waiting on tables and bartending during her uphill fight against Crowley reminding us that – like the rest of these ladies – working class folks like AOC who don’t look like Crowley aren’t supposed to serve in Congress. With its behind the scenes camerawork “Knock” gives us an up close and personal look at the new supposedly “insurgent” freshmen – and freshwomen – who have made this the most representative House of Representatives in terms of ethnicity and gender in US history. Like Norah Shapiro’s 2018 “Time for Ilhan” (which I imagine is already outdated), Lears and her husband Robin Blotnick, have chronicled the new incoming “progressives.”

However, “Knock” ignores important points, which presumably reflect the filmmakers’ own mindsets and prejudices. Their doc only briefly mentions the Democratic Socialists of America in passing and, if memory serves correctly, “Knock” never mentions that AOC is a card carrying dues paying member of this leftwing organization. Lears almost totally ignores whatever role the DSA – arguably the largest self-avowed socialist organization in the USA today – may or may not have played in AOC’s campaign and underdog victory. Inquiring minds want to know. (FYI, Kristina Wong, another self-avowed DSA member, was just elected to serve on a neighborhood council seat in L.A.’s Koreatown.)

Furthermore, it is also probably intentional that Lears never examines what “socialism” means to AOC. Her bold Green New Deal plan, like that other self-avowed socialist’s, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” proposal – two of America’s most important policy prescriptions – seem to spring from socialistic principles. What distinguishes AOC and her other newly minted House comrade, Rashida Tlaib, are that they belong to a socialist party. This more than anything else is what sets them apart from the hundreds of other members of the House of Reps. Yet Lears completely overlooks what is arguably the most salient, unique, distinguishing feature of AOC and her firebrand brand of left-leaning politics.

As said, Lears focuses on the primaries but “Knock” likewise never explores how “progressive” one can be and still belong to the corporate-dominated Democratic Party, with cowardly leaders like Milquetoasty Pelosi and Steny Horror, oldtimers whose day has long come and gone and who “counsel” caution precisely when courage and bold action are required. Can anyone who belongs to a party with such chickens clucking out mottoes like “the audacity of compromise” be considered a true “progressive”? Say, what DOES that word which is thrown around all the time, usually interchangeably with “liberal,” mean in 2019 anyway? How “insurgent” are you if you belong to such a conciliatory party led by sheep? Should AOC and her comrades try to take over the Democratic Party or should they form a new leftist party? Will the newcomers “Knock Down the House” – or will the House knock them down? Like socialism, “Knock” never considers these questions.

And BTW, for anyone who deludes him/herself into believing that socialism can be achieved through the electoral process without a revolution, I have two words for you: Salvador Allende, plus I have a bridge in Brooklyn and swampland in the Okefenokee to sell to you.

Previously, with Blotnick, who also co-made “Knock,” Lears co-created 2014’s “The Hand That Feeds,” which, according to IMDB.com, is about: “Shy sandwich-maker Mahoma López unites his undocumented immigrant coworkers to fight abusive conditions at a popular New York restaurant chain.” For an insider look at the 2018 primary race, their new nonfiction film is essential, enjoyable viewing. However, for those with more discerning eyes attempting to analyze what it all politically means in terms of 2019’s class struggle, I don’t mean to knock “Knock,” but that insightful doc remains to be made.

“Knock Down the House” was in select theaters and on Netflix May 1.

Ed Rampell is a film historian and critic based in Los Angeles. Rampell is the author of “Progressive Hollywood, A People’s Film History of the United States” and he co-authored “The Hawaii Movie and Television Book,” now in its third edition, at MutualPublishing.com. This review was originally at HollywoodProgressive.org.

From The Progressive Populist, June 1, 2019

Populist.com