Into The Fire – American Women & The Spanish Civil War

(Documentary)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C+     Documentary: B

 

 

When people ask me about Guillermo Del Toro’s film Pan’s Labyrinth, one thing I have to explain that many do not know about is Fascism and General Francisco Franco.  Backed by the original Axis of Evil, particularly Mussolini and Hitler, Franco was leading a fight to overthrow the democratically-elected government in Spain and the US did nothing.  As a matter of fact, they actually objected when 80 American nurses joined in resisting Franco's forces to battle them.  Into The Fire – American Women & The Spanish Civil War (2002) is a much-needed documentary about what happened.

 

The result was that the Axis were further emboldened to start WWII, that it did not begin at Pearl Harbor for the US after all (despite what Michael Eisner and many suspect text books might want you to think) and a combination of Isolationist policies, general ignorance and racism only added to the situation.  Julia Newman’s remarkable documentary shows us 16 of these incredible women who risked everything to do what they felt had to be done with stills, quotes, new interviews and vintage film footage.

 

It would be nice if The Spanish Civil War was finally recognized and remembered as the turning point that brought about WWII, especially since it is more forgotten than The Korean War.  Why Ernest Hemingway romanticized this is beyond belief, but the raw truth is here in its nearly hour-long length, though this should be an ongoing project.

 

And how did the US Government react when these lady heroes returned?  Did they thank them?  Admit they were wrong?  Call on them to help in the fight during WWII?  Of course not.  They labeled them “prematurely anti-fascist” (as if there was a period to accept fascism, pretend it is not happening or ever allow it to begin with) and harassed them to their graves.  The time for an official federal apology is long overdue!

 

The 1.33 X 1 image was finished in older NTSC analog video and it shows in color limits, softness and a slight yellowing at times.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple and well-recorded enough to be no problem and the combination is good enough.  Extras include a resources page to directly learn more about this, archival stills, solid timeline, text bio and intro by director Newman and a short film Archives Of Activism about the source of this fine program and the pricelessness of having an alternate history archive.

 

After all, when you are being lied to al the time, you never know where you’ll find the truth.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo