Revolution OS (2001)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

J.T.S. Moore

Writer:

J.T.S. Moore (written by)

Release Date:

15 February 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy

Tagline:

Hackers, Programmers & Rebels UNITE!

Plot Keywords:

Computer Cracker | Microsoft | Open Source Software | Linux | GNU Software

Cast

Linus Torvalds	...	Himself
Richard M. Stallman	...	Himself
Eric Raymond	...	Himself
Bruce Perens	...	Himself
Larry Augustin	...	Himself
Michael Tiemann	...	Himself
Brian Behlendorf	...	Himself
Frank Hecker	...	Himself
Chris DiBona	...	Himself (Windows Refund Day Scene)
Nick Moffitt	...	Himself (Windows Refund Day Scene)
Rob Malda	...	Himself (On Inflatable Couch)
Donnie Barnes	...	Himself
Susan Egan	...	Narrator (voice)
Marc Merlin	...	Himself (Silicon Valley Linux Users' Group President)
Terry Egan	...	Himself

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Baylands Park - 999 E. Caribbean Drive, Sunnyvale, California, USA

Company:

Wonderview Productions

Quotes:

[when awarded the Linus Torvalds Award]
Richard M. Stallman: So, very ironic things have happened, but nothing to match this. Giving the Linus Torvalds Award to the Free Software Foundation is sort of like giving the Han Solo Award to the rebel fleet.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Soundtrack:

The Free Software Song

Preachings for the already converted

If this really is a serious attempt for making a documentary it tries to cover so many areas that it should have been made a series instead. It fails to give a proper history of open source/free software. It fails to recreate the role of open source/free software during the period of focus, namely the dot com boom and crash of 1997-2001. It fails to give any new insights, even for the year it was made. And it fails miserably to have any kind of objectivity or dialogue.

The value of this movie are the interviews with the key persons of the various open source and free software movements, though it becomes quite tiresome to sit and wait for the goodies. What really brings the credibility down is the overly hostile reading of the letter by Bill Gates and the traditional Microsoft bashing through the entire production, combined with the heroic soundtrack during the interviews of the "good guys". It gives the over all impression of really being a sales pitch for a church from a bunch of overly enthusiastic believers, though without the visionary parts that can make it a document of its context of production.

In conclusion, even though far between, there are some good bits in this documentary that could make it worth watching if you have a special interest in the open source movement. Just be aware that you might also get some chills of embarrassment in between.