Raoul Duke So I watched Spike Lee's documentary "if god is willin' and the creek don't rise". It is his follow up to the documentary he did a year after Katrina called? So was it good, well it is four hours long, at times a little racist, at times a little confusing, but in general is a good look at a city that has struggled for years with corruption and poverty, before Katrina, after Katrina, and will keep struggling for years to come. It was good not great and I think has broad appeal, with the exception of maybe "Sarah Palin" types. I wouldn't say skip this but, I also don't think it is necessarily a must watch, it covers a lot of ground that I have seen short news stories on the same subject cover in far less time. I am not sure really what Spike Lee added to the debate. However, maybe several years from now, individuals wanting to learn about how America failed one of own cities in the midst of a natural disaster, and also see how corporate greed can be dangerous on a grand scale, should watch BOTH his movies on this subject to gain some insight and perspective ("When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" was really awesome). if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/

ptcan When the Levees Broke is going to be viewed as one of the great documentaries so I was eager to watch this one. Unlike many people I have enjoyed Spike Lee's films over the years. I don't always agree with him but he is one of the few American directors today doing anything though provoking.His segments on BP were really the strongest and most compelling. He probably could have done a two or three part film: one documenting police corruption in NOLA which was legendary prior to Katrina and one about the BP disaster which taught us that when a mega corp screws up we really are impotent. I think he over stretched on Haiti. That could have also been another documentary. Spike Lee is a man with a point of view but he lets his subjects speak for themselves and weirdly enough I found Micheal Brown less the villain than I would have thought. Of course he was self justifying. Wouldn't we all in his position.Worth watching. Kudos to HBO for even slapping documentaries on during prime time.

Kiki The only reason why I put up with Spike Lee for 4 hours was because I wanted to watch an educational film about New Orleans. I currently live in the area and wanted to get a perspective for what the natives went through when Katrina descended.Spike Lee had the potential to make his best docu-film ever. There is plenty of material to draw from here. Instead he turns this film into a mostly black film. Blacks and the occasional whites aren't the only people who live here though I realize that they make a sizable majority. The segment on the Vietnamese was too short and there was no mention of the Hispanics who helped rebuild the city. Lee failed to mention how some blacks would target Hispanics because they carry cash on them and were scared to call the cops on them due to their immigration status. NOLA also has a Muslim and Middle Eastern community. This isn't counting other ethnic and religious communities. Poor blacks weren't the only people affected by the storm, but it makes for great ratings. His myopia and ethnocentrism is mind boggling. I can't believe he made it this far.I am not a conservative, but the liberal bias in the film is over the top. The poor and pitiful portrayal that many segments of the black community received is highly inaccurate and makes them look impotent waiting for the government to rescue them. It inadvertently perpetuates stereotypes of them and the liberal whites who pity them and carry a guilt complex that they need to cleanse every time they help them. I know that the Feds provided a poor response and that is reprehensible. I also take issue with MS receiving a greater share of funds. I think that NOLA's reputation precedes it. NOLA has always been a city of strong contrasts in class, society and race. The recovery since the storm has only made this more apparent. The recovery post-Katrina has brought out many inadequacies that need to be fixed. After the worst of the storm passed the people could have been more proactive and helped each other more. Instead the corruption that NOLA is known for came back.I believe that an effective documentary gives both sides air time. This is what documentaries are about. If you want to make a film all about your ideas you should make a movie.I'm glad I wasn't the only wondering what the hell was a foot fetish guy talking about finding a woman with a house (aka freeloading freak) doing in a documentary.I wish he would have put a segment on the animals left behind who died in the storm and the ones who starved after-wards.I think the Haiti segment was perhaps a metaphor for how blacks always get the shaft, even from Mother Nature. Tragedies happen to all of us, but how we handle them is what defines us. We don't allow tragedy to make us.The oil spill segment was better. That is truly tragic for all living being, especially the animals who cannot speak for themselves. I found the BP poetry segment pretty cool, Bitch Please! I liked the poetic, musical and football segments as they gave levity to the film. Maybe Spike Lee should have used his artistic insights to make a fun Katrina film.

mysticnox I don't understand why this has such a low rating on here.I'm a New Orleans resident, though I wasn't at the time, my fiancé was. We married in 2006. It was devastating for all the people who lived through it. Yes, there are a few things I don't get. Like why the heck did he put anything about Haiti on there? It only deserved maybe 30 seconds to show that the United States govt had a better and quicker reaction to Haiti than it did to its own people, not 10-15 minutes. Yes, Haiti was worse. But so what. The point is that the US Gvt reaction should have been better toward its own people. This country is supposed to be the greatest nation on earth. It isn't. Its own ideology is its own worst enemy. The whole reason for govt to exist is to deal with situations like what happened in New Orleans but when the govt's hands are tied, people die. Have to say, I'm more convinced than ever due to this film that placing the whole blame on Bush and his regime is the right thing to do.I also have to say that it was so emotionally jarring that I had to watch it in two parts and several days apart. Its like being put through the ringer.