Educational Media Reviews Online

Beginning with the terse declaration, “Lines never happen by accident,” this film exposes the age-old practice of incumbents’ redistricting according to socio-economic, racial, and party lines in order to ensure reelection. This scathing and persuasive work demonstrates how politicians, including Barack Obama, have used this practice to their advantage.

The thrust of this documentary is crystalized in a comment made by a Brooklyn assembly member’s use of an exceptionally rarely used term “political machine.” While this expression normally conjures up images of Boss Tweed and the like, the use of this term jars the audience into taking account of the gravity, pervasiveness, and seeming perpetuity of this abuse. In the interview, the same Brooklyn assembly member states that gerrymandering takes away citizens’ evaluation process for elected officials by eliminating competitive elections. The film is filled with such lucid commentary and insight.

With tutorial-type visuals, the film proffers a lean and effective introduction to America’s voting system with animations, definitions, and exposition of principles and assumptions that drive local, state, and national electoral processes. The graphics are brilliant, vibrant, and appropriately humorous. In terms of content, the bulk of the documentary then shifts to two primary illustrative topics: the campaign for redistricting reform in California, espoused by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the events of the 2003 redistricting in Texas, in which then Representative Tom DeLay and then Governor Richard Perry sought to redraw Congressional voting districts to favor the Republican party. The reinforced theme throughout the film is the general lack of awareness, outrage, and action among the electorates. The filmmakers address each of these issues in a host of informative and creative ways, including a quick survey of an educational video game (simulation) on gerrymandering.

Humor is a persuasive tool in this outstanding work. This film’s tactical use of humor engenders the saying, “I am only laughing to keep from crying.” That is, the filmmakers skillfully use a judiciously mild level of humor to bring the perfect amount of levity to this weighty subject. The conception, pacing, and execution of this film are top notch. This should be considered a foundational work on the political, as well as the oft-neglected economic and demographic, aspects of gerrymandering.