Educational Media Reviews Online

Beginning with the title, Rudyland promises a rocky ride though the territory of Rudolph Giuliani’s tenure as mayor of New York City, 1994-2001, and Giuliani bashers will not be disappointed. More or less chronologically, the film journeys jauntily past the more controversial events and decisions of the Giuliani years, such as the quality of life initiative, the eviction of squatters from city-owned buildings, the Amadou Diallo killing by the police, the Abner Luima brutalization by the police, the Brooklyn Museum "Sensations” exhibition scandal. All of the above are kibitzed by talking heads with strong convictions, the most prominent of which is that of former mayor Edward Koch, first a Giuliani supporter, then a vociferous critic. (But then comes the horror of 9/11, about which more later.) The comments rarely aim for balance – they come for the most part from either committed activists or Young Republicans. We even hear someone say, “The quality of life is a relative term,” and indeed it is. Moreover, the film’s aggressive graphics and occasional special effects lend an intrusive polemical quality to the narrative. But, in fairness to the filmmakers, the mayor is shown, toward the end of his watch, responding in a truly heroic posture to the evolving tragedy of 9/11.

The film leaves you with the question of whether the catastrophe brought out hitherto unseen qualities in him or whether, ironically, the hitherto little appreciated qualities of strong leadership and determination were exactly what was needed in the calamitous situation. Still, a seemingly arbitrary shot as the final credits reel off of Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill seated at the Yalta conference leaves you wondering where the filmmakers are coming from (or going). The film is dedicated to New York, “the city we all love,” and is certain to engender passionate discussion among viewers. Recommended.