Town Bloody Hall (1979, filmed 1971) – D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus
D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus were fortunate enough to cover a debate between notorious misogynist author Norman Mailer and the leading cadre of feminist of the day, including Germaine Greer (The Female Eunuch), Betty Friedan (The Feminine Mystique) and Susan Sontag(Styles of Radical Will), at New York City’s ‘Town Hall’ during the Summer of 1971. What was supposed to be a civil discussion, quickly turned into an all-out brawl of words between the opposing forces, and even a good portion of the crowd.
“Many professional literati ask me in triumphant tones, as you may have noticed, ‘What happened to Mozart’s sister?’ However they ask me that question, it cannot have caused them as much anguish as it has caused me, because Ido not know the answer and I must find the answer. But every attempt that I make to find the answer leads me to believe that perhaps what we accept as a creative artist in our society is more a killer than creator. Aiming his ego ahead of lesser talents, drawing the focus of all eyes to his achievements, being read now by millions and paid in millions, one must ask oneself the question in our society: can any painting be worth the total yearly income of a thousand families?” – Germaine Greer
Much like Pennebaker and Hegedus documentary on Bob Dylan, ‘Don’t Look Back‘, the camera movements are jarring and erratic, personifying the popular cinema verite style of the time. Town Bloody Hall, taken from a line by Germaine Greer while addressing the rowdy crowd, is boisterous and intriguing because it not only shows the explosive feminist movement of the mid 60’s and early 70’s – but ideological backwardness and how much we still need to grow.
Daniel Engelke is a NYC-based literary/film critic. He contributes to Flowers In A Gun with rare and sophisticated findings and gives a glimpse to his own blogs: Seminal Cinema Outfit – a movie blog about classic, foreign and rare films and literary blog Living With Literature .
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