Documentaries
are so rarely unbiased that we have sadly come to see the examination of facts
on screen as little more than propaganda. This is not to say that there isn’t
truth in the information being provided audiences, but it is no longer enough
to simply accept everything you are told in a non-fiction film. Most views
expressed can be countered by the opposition, but this becomes more impactful
when the facts provided in a documentary come into question. It is one thing to
share one side of an argument, but it is another to adjust the facts so that
your side has more strength. The reality is that many of the truths in The Hunting Ground have been
overshadowed by the instances in the documentary where facts are stretched and
bent to support the cause.
Taking on the
issue of sexual assault on college campuses in the United States, The Hunting Ground bounces back and
forth between testimonials from victims and statistics (some of which have come
into question since the film’s release). Not only does the film seek to expose
the likeliness of rape occurring on college campuses, but it spends a majority
of the running time condemning the universities for their refusal to address
the problem. If the schools are simply businesses, they must be concerned with
the negative publicity that comes with public cases of sexual assault. As a
result, very few universities are willing to address the problem at all.
Among the film’s victims are a group
of girls who took their experience and decided to fight back against the system
of institutional cover-up. This struggle for victim advocacy is at the center
of the narrative, supported by the occasional emotional testimonial from victims
and a series of statistics sporadically inserted onscreen. This battle against
the business of higher education seems daunting, so it is easy to excuse the
overzealous nature of filmmaker Kirby Dick in supporting them. Unfortunately,
in doing so, he may have simultaneously done some harm to the cause.
While I appreciate the frustration
towards institutions that seemingly hide the crimes of rape occurring on
campus, the film also includes instances where the alleged crime was brought to
court, but refrains from sharing the instances where inconsistencies in testimony
led to the dismissal of charges. There is one case within The Hunting Ground which has received the most amount of attention
from skeptics, not only because the accuser’s story changed shape over time and
the fact that charges were eventually dropped, but especially because of the
minor celebrity of the alleged rapist.
This accused college football player
is the only alleged rapist named in the many testimonials given on camera for The Hunting Ground. While I completely
respect the segment of the film addressing the favoritism schools show towards
their athletes, including the statistics and facts proving they are often only
punished after the conclusion of their college sports career, it also makes the
film come off rather hypocritical. While it is quite clear that universities
rely heavily upon the monetary support of their athletics departments,
encouraging an unhealthy amount of celebrity within their students in order to
boost the value of their franchise, The
Hunting Ground is no better when the only accused named is also the most
famous.
Using the fame of one of the accused
to help sell your cause (and simultaneously your documentary) may be more
admirable than using it to sell tickets to a football game, but the actions are
the same once intent is removed. Furthermore, it only hurts the film’s cause to
discover the many facts about this case that are simply left out of the
narrative. Even if it is only a small percentage of alleged rape victims who
are lying (as the film covers in one of many questionable collections of
studies), including even one in your narrative is remarkably damaging to an
otherwise worthwhile cause at the heart of the documentary. This mistake may
have been easier to dismiss without the nagging feeling that the truth was ignored
due to the attention including a minor celebrity in the narrative was sure to
give this documentary. And even now, with many criticizing this tactic, the
controversy of this decision likely brought more attention to this documentary
than it would have otherwise.
The DVD release includes additional
testimonies, just in case the dozen included in the film are not impactful
enough. Also included is a featurette with student activists Annie and Andrea
answering questions about their journey trying to change the system.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
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