Raw Discussion on Race, Sexual Orientation and Nationality
NoelTyler | Columbus, Ohio | 04/03/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This movie was good, not excellent. I was in the mood for a documentary, and through searching found Flag Wars. Residing in Columbus, Ohio I found this movie particularly intriguing. I moved here after 2003 when it came out, so I had never heard of this movie.
The movie depicts the Old Towne East area of downtown Columbus, historically black in ethnicity. A mostly gay, professional group of individuals began buying homes in the area in a sort of urban renewal project. With housing codes being passed, many of the long time black residents were unable to repair their homes, thus forced to move.
I really wanted to take sides in this movie, and I figured that by the end I would choose one. It's hard. The gay characters often come off as elitist as they encroach into this blighted area, taking homes at bargain basement prices to fix up. However, the blacks, admitting their own struggles with race and poverty, are outwardly homophobic and unwelcoming of their new neighbors. The characters all have their flaws, and that's really the only issue I had with this documentary--I was unable to make a connection with any of them. The moral of the story is, everyone is prejudice in some way or another. White, black, gay, straight--we all have these preconceived notions in our head of what "the others" are like, blinding their true likenesses when we do finally come to encounter them.
Decide for yourself. I'd definitely recommend this movie to anyone familiar with the Columbus area. Those with backgrounds or interest in civil rights, gay activism, property law or real estate-especially flipping properties, urban renewals-will find this movie very appealing. All in all it was good, not great. Shooting over four years, you'd expect a little more. Though most scenes were good, it left me wondering if "this is the best the have??" Even if I didn't live here, I would have probably enjoyed it."