ReelBob: ‘Look Away, Look Away’ ★★★½
By Bob Bloom
“Look Away, Look Away” opens with the horrific shootings on June 17, 2015, at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine Black people were killed and others wounded during a Bible study class.
The shooter was Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist. Photos and posts on the Internet revealed Roof posing with Confederate flags, which sparked a cry to remove that symbol from flags throughout the South.
Writer-director Patrick O’Connor’s “Look Away, Look Away,” is an even-handed documentary that ignited a debate about the impact and meaning of the Confederate flag to both white and Black residents of the South.
Most of the movie focuses on efforts in Mississippi to remove the Confederate emblem from the state’s flag.
To his credit, O’Connor gives voice to both sides of the issue — those who see nothing wrong with the emblem on the flag as well as those who see it as a racist reminder of slavery and Jim Crow throughout the state’s history.
Those wanting to keep the flag believe it does nothing more than honor the soldiers who died fighting for the Confederacy. They contend that these men — many of whom were not slaveholders — joined to protect their homes and lands from invaders.
Proponents of creating a new flag for Mississippi say it is time to look forward, reminding people that the old flag — adopted in the late 19th century — was adopted as a tool to keep Black people in their place — along with such voting restrictions as poll taxes and literacy tests.
O’Connor does not judge any of his subjects. He lets them make their cases and allows viewers to decide who they think are on the right side of history.
A lot of what is spewed by some of those embracing the Stars and Bars is dubious. They claim not to be racists, but, at times, the words that come out of their mouths belie those sentiments.
These people tell O’Connor about their Confederate heritage and its importance to them. They do not see the flag as an emblem of subjugation, but as a part of their history.
Proponents for change debunk these arguments. Mississippi finally adopted a new flag in 2021. The catalysts for the change were the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and economic pressure put on the state to finally join the 21st century.
“Look Away, Look Away” displays the slow and painful process that finally leads to change. It also contrasts how thoughtful and methodical the people pushing for a new flag were in relationship to those who were emotionally nostalgic about the Confederacy, rallied — some with weapons around Confederate statues and monuments and were no match for people who were using reason to try changing minds and, eventually, hearts.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
LOOK AWAY, LOOK AWAY
3½ stars out of 4
Not rated, violence, language