Analysis of If a Tree Falls Documentary - Essay Example

The producer of the documentary, Marshall Curry, has used McGowan’s plight to explain activism, terrorism, and environmentalism. From his portrayal of McGowan, the producer seems sympathetic to the plight of this radical activist and the ELF as a whole, albeit from a neutral perspective. The producer has used McGowan’s case to represent the plight of the ELF and has also examined the origin of radical environmentalism and highlighted the destruction that was brought by the Earth Liberation Front in the 1990s.

He has also discussed the issue of terrorism as explained by the government, and in the process, he has presented a character, McGowan who does not meet the criteria of being a terrorist in the post-9/11 era. The documentary aims to establish whether crimes directed towards property and no person is injured constitute terrorism. Through the documentary, we learn that the ELF, which is a conglomeration of radical environmental organizations/groups, opted for civil disobedience and annihilation of environmental abuse symbols when it was unable to accomplish its objectives (Miller & Vandone 67).

Therefore the producer of the documentary seeks to establish whether these heinous acts, in the name of radical environmentalism, were terrorist. As the documentary progresses, we feel that Curry is sympathetic to how radical environmentalists are regarded as terrorists. He gives one example in Oregon when protesters were dispersed by police with tear gas canisters. From this, the audience pities these radical environmentalists who were manhandled by police officers. Therefore, it would seem that the producer used this scenario to depict his sympathy towards radical environmentalists like McGowan.

The producer has used McGowan effectively to post the questions that he had in mind. Through McGowan, we sympathize with a former member of the ELF who has been sentenced to life imprisonment due to charges of ‘terrorism’’. McGowan had already left the ELF when he was arrested in December 2005 (Rosebraugh 2011). He is sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Marion penitentiary. The sentence also included a ‘’terrorist enhancement’’ provision that gives the judge freedom to be harsher in judgment in case the crime fits into the’’ terrorism’’ concept.

The documentary has weighed both sides of the issue by examining crimes done by McGowan and also determining whether his actions qualify to be regarded as terrorist events. The documentary seems to be sympathetic to McGowan, albeit in a cautious manner. Even though the documentary is in the form of a personal story, it can be regarded as a comprehensive work concerning the ELF. Curry has used McGowan to act as a representative sample of the plight of the ELF. By focusing on him entirely, the producer has ensured that the viewer has gathered enough information that would enable them to sympathize with the plight of ELF members in the wake of the terrorism tag by the federal government.

The way the documentary has told about McGowan gives noteworthy information on the activities of the ELF. We are told how McGowan worked briefly for a PR company after school and then moved to Oregon where he started getting actively involved in environmental issues. The documentary explains his radical activities, for example, the burning of a timber plant in his early years in Oregon. Therefore, the documentary by Curry lambastes the terrorism norm that the federal government upholds towards radical environmentalists like McGowan.