Bisbee '17

Bisbee '17 is a thought-provoking and immersive documentary directed by Robert Greene. This 2018 film artfully combines elements of historical reenactment, documentary, and experimental theatre to bring to light a crucial historical event that was almost lost in the sands of time. This film is set and filmed in Bisbee, Arizona, a mining town nestled in the Mule mountains of the American Southwest, and features a raw, authentic cast including Mike Anderson, Charles Bethea, Annie Graeme-Larkin, Peter Harasty, and Chris Dietz among others.

The film commemorates the 100th anniversary of the infamous Bisbee Deportation of 1917, a pivotal yet often overlooked episode in American history. Bisbee '17 is a deep-dive into the disturbing events surrounding the deportation, where 1,200 striking miners were forcibly removed from their homes by the combined force of the mining company and their allies, and subsequently abandoned in the brutal desert landscape.

The Bisbee Deportation was a violent clash of labor, capital, and the struggle for the American dream, which left an indelible imprint on the town and its residents. The event resulted in the exile of most of the town's workforce, many of whom were immigrants struggling for better wages and working conditions. Their audacious stand against exploitation by the Phelps Dodge Corporation resulted in them being branded as radical and even unpatriotic, and they were shipped off to New Mexico.

The brilliant cinematography skillfully presents the town almost like a character in its own right - an aching, haunted ghost town, riddled with the scars of its violent past. Director Greene's approach to the narrative is incredibly innovative as he interlaces the present and the past, converging a century of communal history and memory in a symbiosis of theatrical performance, dramatic tableaus, and personal interviews.

Mike Anderson, Charles Bethea, and Chris Dietz, along with other members of the Bisbee community, take on multiple roles in this story of past and present. They not only share their personal stories and family histories connected to the deportation but also recreate the haunting events of 17th July 1917, playing both the miners and deputized citizens who perpetrated the deportation. This unique approach lends a degree of empathy and second-person perspective to the narrative that wouldn't be achieved by conventional documentary storytelling.

Bethea, for instance, plays a striking miner and deportation victim, his great-grandfather, offering a poignant tribute to his ancestor's hardships. Anderson, a lifelong Bisbee resident, is confronted with the painful history of his own grandfather's participation in the deportation as a deputy. Thus, the film successfully blurs the boundaries between the performers and the roles they take, creating a unique blend of documentary and drama.

The film is filled with poetry and resonance as it investigates the historical events that are directly relevant to the contemporary socio-political conversations around labor rights, corporate power, identity politics, and immigration. It is a deeply affecting, complex study of a community reflecting on its darkest day, forcing us to ask substantial questions about the predictability of history repeating itself and the collective responsibility of owning up to past injustices.

Bisbee ’17 also pays homage to the distinct spirit and diversity of America’s hardscrabble mining towns and the legacy of labor movements that remains crucial to the nation’s history. Scenes of the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of Bisbee serve as a stark contrast to the dark historical event that left an indelible mark on the town.

Bisbee '17 is a film that speaks volumes about historical and present injustice, confronting the viewer with the uncomfortable realization that ignoring the past does not lead to healing or reconciliation. By reviving and dissecting a long-forgotten traumatic event, Bisbee ’17 effectively serves as an exploration of how communities collectively remember and reconcile their histories.

Greene delivers a beautifully executed, poignant social critique, wrapped up in a unique cinematic format, that resurrects the ghosts of Bisbee's past to communicate its story to a wider audience, making this film an unmissable chapter of American history. It is an emotive study on the cyclicality of history and the unnerving potential for repetition if we don't pay heed to lessons from our past.