Ethel

Ethel is a poignant and intimate documentary directed in 2012 by Rory Kennedy, a youngest daughter of the Kennedy dynasty. The film showcases the captivating life of Ethel Kennedy, Rory's mother and the wife of the late Robert F. Kennedy. The movie offers an enthralling exploration of a woman’s life and her role in one of America's most esteemed families.

With a running time of approximately 97 minutes, Ethel is a visual memoir enriched with personal recollections, presenting an intimate family portrait that manages to cleverly evade the conventions of a political biography. The film utilizes a wealth of archival images and footage, family photos, home videos and news clips, artfully woven together to create a fascinating tapestry of this woman's life.

The focus is on the inspiring figure of Ethel Kennedy, a person known more for her privacy than her public life. The wife of Bobby Kennedy, brother of JFK, Ethel was inevitably thrust into the political limelight. The documentary shows Ethel not just as the matriarch of the Kennedy family, but also as the core of its spiritual strength, resilience, and outstanding human values.

Ethel is Rory Kennedy's unabashedly personal depiction of her mother. It paints a rich portrait of a truly remarkable woman. Ethel is shown as a tireless mother of eleven who rode camels in the Egyptian desert, swam through polluted waters in a demonstration of civil courage, and famously campaigned with her husband during his Presidential run.

The film’s most potent element is the way it delves into Ethel’s deep commitment to her family and causes, infused with her indefatigable spirit. Ethel is a prism that reflects the great societal changes of the 20th century. The audience gets to witness the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war era, and the assassinations of both JFK and Robert Kennedy through the eyes of Ethel Kennedy.

By letting Ethel (the person) tell her own story, Ethel (the film) often manages to capture the raw, human element behind the public persona, demonstrating how she managed to maintain her family’s unity amidst the turbulent political storms that engulfed the Kennedys.

The film features interviews with Rory Kennedy herself along with her siblings Kathleen, Joe, Bobby, Courtney, Kerry, Chris, and Max throughout. But it's Ethel who shines brightest, with her unflinching resilience, her undying passion for social justice, and her deeply held conviction that one person can make a difference.

The film intricately weaves together the personal and the political, portraying Ethel's journey from a young debutante in love to the wife of a presidential candidate and then to the guardian of a legacy. The mass of archival footage, much of it rarely seen, brings an authenticity and immediacy to the story that it may not have had otherwise. Whether it's playful family moments or profound national crisis, the film’s compelling narrative invites viewers to experience the world from Ethel’s perspective.

The film additionally touches upon Ethel’s encounters with notable figures from the Civil Rights Movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Bunche, whose roles help illuminate the political and social upheavals of the time.

Ethel presents a unique perspective on a public life lived with charisma, determination, and compassion. Rory Kennedy's loving tribute to her mother is an illuminating exploration of the private joys and tragedies of a woman who was thrust into the political spotlight, but never lost her heart or her resolve.

For those unfamiliar with the Kennedys or those already fascinated by America's most iconic political family, Ethel stands as a provocative and moving tribute. It's an engrossing film that offers a private peek into a public life, providing a humanizing portrait of a woman often overshadowed by her famous family. In sharing her mother's story, Rory Kennedy gives audiences an intimate insight into both a remarkable woman and a defining time in American history.