Filmmaker Marshall Curry explores the inner workings of the Earth Liberation Front, a revolutionary movement devoted to crippling facilities involved in deforestation, while simultaneously offering a profile of Oregon ELF member Daniel McGowan, who was brought up on terrorism charges for his involvement with the radical group.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations.
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
The gripping documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front offers an intimate look at the radical environmental group.
– Gary Goldstein,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jul 2011
rotten:
The problem is that the heart of the movie is McGowan. He's just not a very compelling figure.
– Mark Feeney,
Boston Globe,
28 Jul 2011
fresh:
Watching it may not change anyone's ideology, but it will force you to see the players as complex people with understandable motivations.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
28 Jul 2011
fresh:
Curry tells a compelling tale about the differences of opinion over what constitutes desperate measures, and how readily we throw around a term like terrorism.
– Stephanie Merry,
Washington Post,
12 Aug 2011
fresh:
It's tempting to watch If a Tree Falls doc about a scraggly group of ecoterrorists with a chip of skepticism on your shoulder. Yet the film creates a fantastic moral ambivalence.