Born in Flames (1983)

November 24, 2021 10:26 AM

Writer/director Lizzie Borden's 1983 low budget film is set ten years after the “Social Democratic War of Liberation,” a peaceful socialist revolution. The fractures beneath the surface of the new policies come to the fore, the people who have been left out based on gender, race, and class become all too apparent, and New York women plot a revolution within the revolution...

Currently streaming in the US on Fandor (with seven day free trial via Amazon Prime) or on Metrograph.

Starring Honey, Adele Bertei, Kathryn Bigelow, and Jean Satterfield. Featuring songs by Red Krayola.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

Not sure about the version on Fandor/Amazon Prime, but the version on Metrograph does not have subtitles/captions of any kind.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:29 AM on November 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Hard to 'review' this cultural artifact! This movie seems so central to certain political communities I can't even evaluate it as an art object.
posted by latkes at 11:43 AM on November 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

I heard about this years ago and wanted to see it, but forgot the film's name. Thanks for posting about it!

You can also watch it streaming on Kanopy.
posted by heteronym at 12:21 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

It was on Criterion a little bit ago, and I watched it then. It feels so current and relevant. For some reason i was mostly struck by the bike gang protecting the woman who was being followed, that’s the scene I remember most. I also have a deep love for pirate radio. I was stoked to see Kathryn Bigelow, mostly because I started working through all of her films last year and I love her early work.

I believe Working Girls is on Criterion right now (or was last month?) for more Lizzie Borden.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 8:45 PM on November 27, 2021