Product Description

One year after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, director Spike Lee presents a four-hour, four-part chronicle recounting, through words and images, one of our country?s most profound natural disasters. In addition to revisiting the hours leading up to the arrival of Katrina, a Category 5 hurricane before it hit the coast of Louisiana, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts tells the personal stories of those who lived to tell about it, at the same time exploring the underbelly of a nation where the divide along race and class lines has never been more pronounced.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4909 in DVD
• Brand: HBO HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2006-12-19
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .70 pounds
• Running time: 256 minutes

Amazon.com
Director Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke is the definitive document of the unmitigated disaster that was, and is, Hurricane Katrina. It's also a contemporary manifestation of an ancient tradition: an oral history, told by the people who lived it, with no narration and only the occasional use of archival cable and broadcast news footage in addition to Lee's own film. And a grim tale it is, an "American tragedy" subtitled "a Requiem in Four Acts," each of them about an hour long ("Act V," appearing on the third of the set's three discs, is a lengthy epilogue with new material not included in the original HBO broadcast) and focusing almost exclusively on New Orleans, as opposed to the Gulf Coast region in general.

Act I sets the scene; as the hurricane nears the Crescent City, some residents leave town, while others stay behind, figuring they'll just ride the storm out (Mayor Ray Nagin's "mandatory evacuation" order rings fairly hollow, as there's no public transportation provided for the many who don't own vehicles and thus couldn't get out even if they wanted to). The real problems begin after Katrina makes landfall on August 29, 2005. Displaced New Orleaneans crowd into the Superdome, soon to become a living hell for those stuck there; the incredibly poorly engineered levees break, flooding some 80 percent of the city; and people start dying by the hundreds, victims of drowning, lack of food, water, and medicine, and other causes. And so it goes. Act II finds the survivors struggling to keep it together while the federal, state, and local assistance they've been promised fails to show up; Act III traces the dispersal of these so-called "refugees" (as one man puts it, "Refugees? You mean they took away our citizenship, too?") all over the country, not knowing where their families, friends, and neighbors are, or even if they're still alive; and Act IV deals with the slow rebuilding of the city while insurance companies refuse to pay claims and money keeps going toward the Iraq war effort instead.

Several themes predominate here. One, of course, is the appalling performance of authorities on nearly every level, who ignored specific warnings about the levees and then professed ignorance after the fact; Lee doesn't have to go out of his way to make George W. Bush, FEMA chief Michael Brown, and other members of the Bush administration (not to mention his own mother) look bad, as they do an excellent job of that themselves. Another is the shameful ineptitude of the response; it's hard not to be disgusted when it's pointed out more than once that while we were able to provide supplies and assistance to Indonesians within two days of the 2004 tsunami, American citizens were virtually ignored for five days or more. Most of all, When the Levees Broke (which includes optional commentary by Lee for all four acts) leaves us feeling the sheer rage of the poor and dispossessed of New Orleans, where the population is 70 percent African-American. Confronted with the ignorance, arrogance, and callousness of the people whose job it was to protect them, they can point to just one cause: racism. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Enlightening, and emotional
I remember my mom saying you never know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes. This documentary achieves this goal - we walk a mile in the shoes of those who live in New Orleans just before, during and after hurricane Katrina. Particular attention is paid to the shameful five days after Katrina when our government did nothing to help the people of New Orleans who were stranded with no electricity, food or water.

I learned so much from this documentary about the spirit of New Orleans, the people that make up this unique place and how they were failed by local, state and federal government. It is astonishing. Spike Lee showed intense respect for the people of New Orleans, he did what he does best in the background completely hidden. He let the people speak for themselves and he made the correct choices. He let people of all income levels, races, and walks of life speak about what happened in intensely personal ways through the lenses of their own experiences. More importantly he let them speak in their own words including profanity, frustration, racial slurs, and raw emotion as well as through prayer, song and music and thoughtful criticism.

He also exposed the shameful inaction of the federal government. There were interviews with New Orleans Mayor Ray Naggin, the Louisiana Governor, Lt. Governor, former mayor, Al Sharpton, Harry Belafonte and many other local politicians. The most surprising and eloquent critique came from Al Sharpton. Both his media critique which was thoughtful and fair (referring to American citizens who were displaced by Katrina as refugees) and his reaction to Barbara Bush's comments about how the hurricane was better for the poor people who relocated to Texas (not a direct quote - what she said was much more insensitive) while she was being interviewed in the Houston arena in front of the New Orleans natives.

He includes famous and notable people including, Sean Penn, Michael Eric Dyson, Harry Belefonte and others sharing their insights but he never let's the expert, famous or intellectual voices take over; he never forgets the focus is the people of New Orleans. In this documentary you can feel his deep respect for them.

He gives a picture of their lives before, a history of New Orleans culture and what makes it unique and he uses the notable and learned effectively to set the background and add to the viewers understanding of what makes New Orleans special. The expert voices add to our picture of the issues related to Katrina but are not the primary source of information about the people of New Orleans and what happened during and after Katrina. New Orleans natives are the source of information about the experience of Hurricane Katrina and Spike Lee works hard to ensure that they are the focus. The experts are like a group of spices they add flavor but don't change the substance of the dish; he uses experts to shed light on the story but never supplants or marginalizes the people who lived it in the discussion of Katrina and its lasting impact. This is part of what makes this documentary so powerful is you hear from people who lived it and are still living it.

He also uses actual news footage and interviews members of the media who covered Katrina including Soledad O'Brien and the radio talk show host who did the now famous interview with Mayor Naggin which is credited with embarrassing and shaming the Bush Administration into action; Lee chooses not to include the entire interview but it is available online.

Spike Lee also explores the power of the institution of the Presidency and how important it can be when wielded properly on behalf of citizens in need. It matters what the President and members of his administration were doing while people suffered and died for five days after the hurricane. President Bush on vacation, VP Cheney was out fishing, Condoleezza Rice buying shoes and seeing Spam-A lot while people suffered and died. Lee finds a contrasting example in President Lyndon Johnson. Johnson, another Texan, went to the Gulf region after a hurricane in the middle of the night with a flashlight to tell the people that he was their President and to lend aid and comfort right away; he put citizens above ego and he was there.

Spike Lee did what many documentary makers struggle to do, he found a way to let viewers like me share in the experience depicted on film. While I watched this documentary I walked in their shoes and I will be forever changed by this glimpse into their lives.

Spike Lee's Powerful Katrina Epic--A Critical And Emotional Look At An American Tragedy
This may seem like an absolutely ridiculous thing to say--but I wanted to approach "When The Levees Broke" with a totally open mind. While the flooding of New Orleans is easily one of the greatest disasters in American history, it is also one of the most politically charged subjects of recent years. While I've never found Spike Lee to be the most balanced of directors, I was curious to see how his epic documentary about the aftermath of Katrina would fare. I'm pleased to report that a concerted effort was made to include alternating viewpoints and perceptions. That's why I attempted to leave my own preconceived ideas on the doorstep--I wanted to judge this piece on its merit as opposed to its (or my) political agenda.

Basically, "Levees" is constructed in four episodes--each roughly an hour. Part 1 details the incoming storm and its initial impact on the area. Here we see rescue efforts amid the flooding and many harrowing images of people just trying to survive. Part 2 deals with the immediate aftermath, as the evacuees are staged throughout the city awaiting assistance. Here, we start to share in the real frustration of everyone that assistance is slow and, in some cases, nonexistent. Part 3 documents a period of time where the evacuees adjust--waiting for a chance to return to their homes and/or rejoin their families. And Part 4 comes as people start to return to the city--to the horrors and reality that all is lost. The latter parts continue to focus on opportunities missed by FEMA to care for the victims, the Corps of Engineers to adequately defend the city, and the insurance companies who failed to make good on their obligations.

But most of the criticism is left for the national government and, in particular, the Bush administration. And, again, whatever your political leanings--this is definitely a topic that needs to be examined. Through news footage and interviews from major participants including Mayor Naggin and Governor Blanco, you get a real perspective on what was going on behind the scenes. It may not be the most flattering portrait one could hope for--but it is surprisingly fair. And it is necessary to view our shortcomings as a nation facing disaster--if, for no other reason, than to prevent them from happening again.

It is heartbreaking what was left in the wake of Katrina. But it's even more upsetting to think it may have been prevented--or at least, after the storm, given more import by those who might have made a difference. Many of the documentary's subjects are New Orleans residents who put a human and personal touch on the catastrophe--and Lee has, thankfully, selected a diverse group from different socioeconomic backgrounds. That's what makes "Levees" most effective--looking at a broad canvas.

Most of the interviewees are noticeably and justifiably frustrated by the situations and much political talk ensues. I think the criticisms, in most cases, are apt. However, the one thing I wished "Levees" would have done more is to acknowledge the stellar support from individuals who made a difference working within the organizations that are widely being disparaged. There were many people who worked within the system who were not villains--yet these people (many who worked for months on the streets of New Orleans or with the evacuees) are largely dismissed. This is a shame for them and a blemish on an otherwise exemplary documentary. KGHarris, 11/06.

Phyllis Montana LeBlanc for President
Phyllis Montana LeBlanc for President! Or, at least Secretary of Keeping It Real. Ms. LeBlanc, a passionate and articulate victim of the 2005 New Orleans flood, is one of many Big Easy residents who appears in the Spike Lee mega-documentary film WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE. Her commentary proves to be one of many unforgettable aspects of this must-see work.

Of course, by calling New Orleans residents victims of the August 2005 floodwaters, I oversimplify. As WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE documents, for forty years responsible powers knew the New Orleans levees could not withstand the pressure of a hurricane such as Katrina but did nothing. The Bush administration and FEMA, who knew what was going to happen days in advance of the hurricane, did nothing. And when the storm subsided and people needed rescue, food, and water, the Bush gang and FEMA dragged their feet, allowing preventable death and misery for several days before acting.

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE cuts no corners telling its story. About the only lowlight of those tragic summer 2005 days it misses is Laura Bush's telling comment, where she referred to the storm as "Hurricane Corrina" at least twice in the same interview.

While the illegal, immoral war in Iraq got most of the credit for the fall of the Republicans in the 2006 elections, the federal government's willful disregard for New Orleans had to be on voters' minds, too. As I write this in March 2007, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco has announced she will not seek re-election because of low poll numbers, so it seems the people are repaying Republican Lite Democrats such as Ms. Blanco, too. WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE closes with the Fats Domino song, "Walking To New Orleans." Another Fats Domino song, "So Long," speaks to the responsible public office holders who knew what could happen but turned a blind eye. May they get theirs.

See WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE.