Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans

Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans is a potent and gripping 2007 documentary filled with deep-seated emotion, probing questions, and severe revelations. Directed by the award-winning investigative journalist Greg Palast, the film examines one of the most catastrophic and heartbreaking events in U.S. history: Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans in 2005.

The film unfolds like a spellbinding detective story, commencing with raw imagery of the devastation wreaked by Katrina, then weaving a sobering narrative of negligence, failure, and possible corruption that led to the unprecedented disaster. The hard-hitting and tireless investigative inquiries by Palast take center stage throughout the film, challenging the official accounts of the events and presenting various pieces of evidence that shed light on the grim realities that only a few have dared to speak.

The documentary is a veritable journey into the eye of the storm, focusing not just on the hurricane’s devastation but also on the heartrending aftermath and distressing effects on the local communities. Through the exploration of stark contrasts between the government’s grand promises of aid and protection and the bitter reality of squalor, despair, and abandonment faced by the victims, the film showcases the glaring systemic failure at every level of leadership.

Greg Palast, known for his fearlessness and uncompromising investigative journalism, takes viewers into the realm of accountability or a lack thereof. He interviews key figures, including survivors, rescue workers, government officials, engineers, and even a Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, attempting to demystify the purported negligence and lack of urgency in response, not just during the disaster, but also in the shameful aftermath.

One of the film’s riveting themes is the probing inquiry into the failures of the levee system, long touted as the city’s line of defense against high waters. The filmmakers closely examine the factors behind the catastrophic failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina, which dramatically amplified the devastation. Palast expertly discusses the findings of an independent task force that investigated the levee breaches, revealing a horrifying tale of alleged poor construction, woeful neglect, and suspected corruption.

In parallel to this investigation, the documentary does not shy away from drawing attention to the terrible human cost. It offers viewers a poignant, first-hand glimpse into the emotional burden borne by the victims. Their raw stories serve as a brutal reminder of the human element often forgotten amidst grand narratives of disaster: families torn apart, homes washed away, and dreams and hopes dashed forever.

It also illuminates the scars of racial and class disparities, deepened by the handling of the disaster and its aftermath. Palast exposes the stark differences in aid and rescue efforts, pointing to systemic inequity and bias, compounded by apparent government disinterest and failure to provide for its citizens during their most vulnerable times.

Big Easy to Big Empty manages to intertwine shock, sadness, and anger in its narrative, leaving no stone unturned in its quest for truth and accountability. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, the documentary could have been a simple explanation of a natural disaster. Instead, Palast transforms it into a vivid expose, a blanket indictment of administrative failure, and a passionate plea for action.

In the end, the documentary is a shocking revelation of the multiple crisis points that emerged in New Orleans, not solely as a result of nature's wrath, but significantly due to human error, mismanagement, and perhaps even malfeasance. The film is a profound mirror reflecting the vulnerabilities in US infrastructure, governmental response mechanisms, and societal divisions.

Big Easy to Big Empty is a powerful testament to the resilience, courage, and indomitable spirit of the people of New Orleans, even as it's a harsh critique of the systemic failures, disillusionment, and broken promises that still haunt the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately, it is a call-to-action for change, a blueprint for future preparedness, and an undeniable evidence of the human cost of institutional neglect and indifference. Intense and insightful, it is an essential film for anyone seeking to understand the full scope of the Hurricane Katrina disaster beyond the headlines.