If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front | Review

Just two years since the release of his critically acclaimed documentary Racing Dreams, Marshall Curry has returned to co-direct If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front along with Sam Cullman, who has also worked on successful docs such as King Corn and Why We Fight. Their film centers around the life of Daniel McGowan, an ex-member of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), who after being involved in two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies, and successfully evading authorities for four years, now faces a potential life in prison sentence. A man who has never physically hurt another person in his life may be branded in court as a terrorist, placing McGowan in the ranks with Timothy McVeigh and Osama Bin Ladin. Curry and Cullman have arranged a telling cast to question who the real terrorists in this situation are, and to find out in crystal clear detail how a fairly normal guy like McGowan could get sucked into the center of this extremist movement.

McGowan grew up as a normal New York City kid in Queens, but as he came of age, he became involved in a variety of protests and movements, including counter military recruitment efforts, and supporting political prisoners. In 1998, he moved out west to become more involved with efforts to stop old-growth foresting, but he never dreamed he would end up joining the ELF, say nothing of helping incinerate multiple corporate timber company offices. His story unfolds as we follow his present life through negotiations with lawyers, and court appearances. Intermixed with this house arrest court drama, the history of the ELF and McGowan’s involvment is told through archived news footage, and new interviews with McGowan himself, his family, other activists that he had worked with, Jacob Ferguson, the ELF member who took a deal with the FBI which lead to the arrest of 15 other ELF members including McGowan, Suzanne Savoie, another ELF member who was arrested following Ferguson’s confession, business owners that were financially and emotionally hurt by the ELF’s actions, and even two FBI agents that worked on the ELF case. The film stays dead center, portraying McGowan and the ELF from a very objective point of view. Their actions sparked many infernos that caused millions in damage with the intention of sending a message, and it was all to save the environment at a time when words were being lost on deaf ears. The companies they were fighting against are wreaking havoc on the environment, yet the members of the ELF are being called eco-terrorists, despite the obvious irony. These facts don’t make their actions justified, but Curry and Cullman want you to understand these people’s actions, and the strange environment in which we live today.

The film is edited together well, telling two different stories in parallel, though this duel story line does cause a few hiccups in pacing as the transition is made back and forth. The candor of the convicted subjects in the film is eye opening. It’s clear they regret what they did, and look back at the events with a much more astute perspective, and not just because they got caught. The film’s weakest link is the stiff sounding unnamed narrator who is doesn’t come off as comfortable, or confident in his role.

If A Tree Falls is a eye opening, and disheartening history lesson about the Earth Liberation Front, and the corporate forces it rallies against. While maintaining a keen objective eye, Curry and Cullman have put together an inquisitive documentary that brings into focus the ideals of one’s morality, and a nation that seems to be ready to bury anyone who aims to question the safety of our environment.

Reviewed for the 2011 Sheffield Doc/Fest

Rating 3 stars