This even-handed documentary may make you reconsider your opinion of Washington, DC, politician Marion Barry. Barry, a civil rights movement veteran with a healthy ego and an eye for the ladies, served four tumultuous terms as mayor of Washington and is now in his second term as council representative for the city's impoverished 8th Ward. His political career began in triumph as the white southerners who had traditionally controlled city patronage and purse-strings were swept into the dustbin of history; by the time of Barry's fourth mayoral term, however, the southerners regained control thanks to the GOP resurgence of the late 1990s--and to the mayor's taste for sex, drugs, and alcohol. There's no doubt that Barry did sterling work in the city prior to his first term in office, and no doubt that he was targeted and set-up by a zealous federal prosecutor who also happened to be a Republican. The film unfortunately skimps on the details of what he actually accomplished as mayor, but it's easy to understand why Barry became a neighborhood hero: he's the local lad who made good and overcame his own personal demons. Is that enough to warrant his continued presence on the city council? Barry's vigorous opposition to gay marriage (not discussed in this film) opens him up to charges of hypocrisy, and would certainly be the last straw for me. But it's also clear that, though now more of a follower than a leader, Barry remains a man of the people. Like him or not, he reflects the hopes and aspirations of his constituents.
11 Reviews
For Political Junkies
DavoZed26 December 2021
An interesting study of someone who started out with good intentions and ideas and lost his way. Based on this, Barry wandered but nothing like the media indicated.
The film could have been 40 - 60 minutes long and gotten all of its main points across. Quite a bit of repetition, partly because Barry kept repeating his previous feats.
Watch the first half to 2/3, to get all of the value.
The film could have been 40 - 60 minutes long and gotten all of its main points across. Quite a bit of repetition, partly because Barry kept repeating his previous feats.
Watch the first half to 2/3, to get all of the value.
An Entertaining Documentary
dbloch-prime25 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Marion Barry: civil rights organizer, councilmen, mayor, alcoholic, cocaine addict, and convict. His story of how an esteemed Washingtonian fell down a dark path, is told in the documentary The Nine Lives of Marion Barry. Released in 2009, the film was directed and produced by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is from Washington DC, and has directed critically acclaimed series such as Devil's Playground and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013). Flor, on the other hand, is much less well known having worked on only a few other films in addition to The Nine Lives of Marion Barry. I think that this documentary was able to deliver a substantial amount of information about Barry's life; however, it brushes over many important details in order to produce a more entertaining film.
The film begins with the present day Barry campaigning in Ward Eight for another term as councilman. Strong emotions are felt by many constituents, as some cheer him on as "the mayor," while others make accusations that Barry is only running again for a paycheck. The film then pans back to Barrys origins.
Barry was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi and his family was dirt poor, picking cotton for a living. At four years old, Barry's mother moves the family to Memphis. In Memphis, Barry attends college and later becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement, eventually becoming chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC. Barry comes to DC in order to open a SNCC chapter. The city prior to 1974 was described as "a plantation" because an unelected federal council had direct control over the district and during this time, Barry organized Pride Inc., an organization that was able to find jobs for many of the poorest Washingtonians. His work with Pride, as well as further initiatives as mayor, helped the black community, in particular residents of Ward 8, massively. This caused Barry to become extremely popular within those communities. This documentary succeeds in showing many of Barr;s political actions; however, it fails to mention many important parts of his personal life. For example, there is no mention of his first or second wives Blantie Evans and Marie Treadwell. The overlooking of Marie Treadwell is particularly egregious as she helped found Pride Inc.
Later on, as the documentary shows the process through which Barry became mayor, it also tells how Barry met his third wife Effi Slaughter, despite failing to mention that Barry had had any prior relationships. Throughout the film, Slaughter recounts her experience with Barry and how she became increasingly disconnected from her husband. As the film examines Barry's time as mayor in the eighties, it shows the good he was able to do: he revitalized fourteenth street and provided jobs to many poorer Washingtonians. The film also examines many of Barry's failures: his alcoholism, addiction to crack cocaine, and affairs. The documentary also shows effectively the lead up to the FBI sting operation that brought about Barry's arrest and conviction for possession of crack cocaine. However, the movie continues to ignore his other wives. It completely disregards Cora Masters, Barry's fourth wife, who led Barry's political rehabilitation after his time in jail. The movie also fails to mention key moments in Barrys later years such as a fiasco when Barry didn't pay sanitation workers during a huge blizzard, which left streets uncleared, paralyzing the city for a week.
Overall, I think that The Nine Lives Of Marion Barry is an entertaining look at the life of one of DC's greatest, and worst mayors, despite it ignoring some key details within his life. I rate the movie 6.5/10.
The film begins with the present day Barry campaigning in Ward Eight for another term as councilman. Strong emotions are felt by many constituents, as some cheer him on as "the mayor," while others make accusations that Barry is only running again for a paycheck. The film then pans back to Barrys origins.
Barry was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi and his family was dirt poor, picking cotton for a living. At four years old, Barry's mother moves the family to Memphis. In Memphis, Barry attends college and later becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement, eventually becoming chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC. Barry comes to DC in order to open a SNCC chapter. The city prior to 1974 was described as "a plantation" because an unelected federal council had direct control over the district and during this time, Barry organized Pride Inc., an organization that was able to find jobs for many of the poorest Washingtonians. His work with Pride, as well as further initiatives as mayor, helped the black community, in particular residents of Ward 8, massively. This caused Barry to become extremely popular within those communities. This documentary succeeds in showing many of Barr;s political actions; however, it fails to mention many important parts of his personal life. For example, there is no mention of his first or second wives Blantie Evans and Marie Treadwell. The overlooking of Marie Treadwell is particularly egregious as she helped found Pride Inc.
Later on, as the documentary shows the process through which Barry became mayor, it also tells how Barry met his third wife Effi Slaughter, despite failing to mention that Barry had had any prior relationships. Throughout the film, Slaughter recounts her experience with Barry and how she became increasingly disconnected from her husband. As the film examines Barry's time as mayor in the eighties, it shows the good he was able to do: he revitalized fourteenth street and provided jobs to many poorer Washingtonians. The film also examines many of Barry's failures: his alcoholism, addiction to crack cocaine, and affairs. The documentary also shows effectively the lead up to the FBI sting operation that brought about Barry's arrest and conviction for possession of crack cocaine. However, the movie continues to ignore his other wives. It completely disregards Cora Masters, Barry's fourth wife, who led Barry's political rehabilitation after his time in jail. The movie also fails to mention key moments in Barrys later years such as a fiasco when Barry didn't pay sanitation workers during a huge blizzard, which left streets uncleared, paralyzing the city for a week.
Overall, I think that The Nine Lives Of Marion Barry is an entertaining look at the life of one of DC's greatest, and worst mayors, despite it ignoring some key details within his life. I rate the movie 6.5/10.
Review
sajmeri25 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Marion Barry was a political figure in Washington D. C., where he spent 4 terms as mayor of the city, and 3 terms on the city council of District Ward 8. During his life as a politician, Marion Barry made great strides for the African American community in his first term as mayor, however, his reputation has been tarnished by his scandals and affairs outside of office. "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry," a documentary produced by Julie Goldman in 2009, offers a great perspective on Marion Barry's life, emphasizing the good that he did for D. C., as well as the bad. Not only does the documentary shed light on Marion Barry's life and time in office, it also proposes the question, how should Marion Barry be remembered? After watching the documentary, I believe he should be recognized as a man who originally was a hero, however put himself in the position of a villain.
In 1965, when Marion Barry began his political journey, D. C. was 70% Black, yet the government was dominated by white men. Barry wanted to get African Americans in government jobs, so he rallied his community and started the organization "Pride," which helped get hundreds of Black people jobs. He quickly became a leader in the African American community in D. C., and in 1974, he was elected to city council. He continued to inspire his community, and soon after became mayor in 1979. During his stint as mayor, he continued to give Black people hope for the future, which is something they previously hadn't had in their government. In 1982, he ran for his second term and did achieve his goal in getting other African Americans in government jobs. However, while he was working as mayor, the city around him was suffering from the crack epidemic, and Barry's drinking problem began to become visible to the public. Barry began to work less and less, making minimal impact for his city, and in 1990, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. The African American community sympathized for him though, and he was reelected in 1994 for mayor. Due to his previous actions, D. C. instated the financial control board which took away much of the power Marion had. With essentially no power, Barry retired from politics in 1998. He later ran again for city council of District Ward 8in 2004, and was elected, but again, caught with drugs.
During Barry's career, he made great efforts towards improving the African American community in his first few terms, but afterwards, his problems outside of office spiraled out of control, and overall, I think his drug problems in office have a greater effect on his image and reputation than his efforts as mayor. If he were to continue what he was doing in his first term as mayor, I would have seen him as a hero, but he didn't make many changes during his last terms as mayor and his scandals brought down his reputation, causing me to see him as a villain.
In 1965, when Marion Barry began his political journey, D. C. was 70% Black, yet the government was dominated by white men. Barry wanted to get African Americans in government jobs, so he rallied his community and started the organization "Pride," which helped get hundreds of Black people jobs. He quickly became a leader in the African American community in D. C., and in 1974, he was elected to city council. He continued to inspire his community, and soon after became mayor in 1979. During his stint as mayor, he continued to give Black people hope for the future, which is something they previously hadn't had in their government. In 1982, he ran for his second term and did achieve his goal in getting other African Americans in government jobs. However, while he was working as mayor, the city around him was suffering from the crack epidemic, and Barry's drinking problem began to become visible to the public. Barry began to work less and less, making minimal impact for his city, and in 1990, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. The African American community sympathized for him though, and he was reelected in 1994 for mayor. Due to his previous actions, D. C. instated the financial control board which took away much of the power Marion had. With essentially no power, Barry retired from politics in 1998. He later ran again for city council of District Ward 8in 2004, and was elected, but again, caught with drugs.
During Barry's career, he made great efforts towards improving the African American community in his first few terms, but afterwards, his problems outside of office spiraled out of control, and overall, I think his drug problems in office have a greater effect on his image and reputation than his efforts as mayor. If he were to continue what he was doing in his first term as mayor, I would have seen him as a hero, but he didn't make many changes during his last terms as mayor and his scandals brought down his reputation, causing me to see him as a villain.
Marion Barry Review
nkolker25 April 2023
"The Nine Lives of Marion Barry" is a 2009 documentary that portrays the political career and personal life of Marion Barry. It takes viewers through both the ups and the downs of his career. It begins with the story of him coming to DC and the change he creates for the city, especially in black communities. By the late 80's, however, crime rates and high school dropout rates were going up, and many people believed he turned a blind eye to these problems. It also covers his personal life, from matters such as the infamous 1990 crack bust, and his relationship with his wife.
When watching this documentary, I noticed that Barry was portrayed as a flawless hero, with no shortcomings. This can be noted when they mention how he dropped out of getting a doctorate to go join the civil rights movement. I think it is an important piece of information, but it, among other points, set him up to be a perfect person. I think that this has been done to set up a shocking reversal for when the film starts to cover the uglier parts of his life. However, I don't like it. This is because the reversal is too strong; you feel like a step was missed from Marion Barry the heroic mayor to Marion Barry the prison inmate. Also, it is not accurate. To portray him as a person who had no haters, and did all good, is never going to be accurate. I think he was doing a very good job at the start, but this level of black and white comparison just makes the story less comprehensive.
The documentary does a good job displaying the chaos Marion Barry invoked. After it discusses the sting operation, there is a series of seemingly "deja vu" moments. Think like "Marion Barry did that again?" It mentions two more cocaine busts, it mentions the allegations he faced with other women, and it does so repeatedly. Watching these same unfortunate scenes play out again and again brings viewers to a conclusion the writers want: To understand Barry's negative impact. And the method works, too. By the end of the film, you will find yourself asking "Again?" And the chaos also leads in to the more overarching point of the film: Marion Barry's respect and legacy carried him through his darkest times.
Viewers will see the stark contrast between the first half of the film and the second. The film does respect the positive impact Barry had on the city, but it does so to set up the chaos. This plan is carried out perfectly; and viewers will certainly see and feel Barry's chaos. But does the film do so at the expense of paying full respects to Barry's positive impact?
When watching this documentary, I noticed that Barry was portrayed as a flawless hero, with no shortcomings. This can be noted when they mention how he dropped out of getting a doctorate to go join the civil rights movement. I think it is an important piece of information, but it, among other points, set him up to be a perfect person. I think that this has been done to set up a shocking reversal for when the film starts to cover the uglier parts of his life. However, I don't like it. This is because the reversal is too strong; you feel like a step was missed from Marion Barry the heroic mayor to Marion Barry the prison inmate. Also, it is not accurate. To portray him as a person who had no haters, and did all good, is never going to be accurate. I think he was doing a very good job at the start, but this level of black and white comparison just makes the story less comprehensive.
The documentary does a good job displaying the chaos Marion Barry invoked. After it discusses the sting operation, there is a series of seemingly "deja vu" moments. Think like "Marion Barry did that again?" It mentions two more cocaine busts, it mentions the allegations he faced with other women, and it does so repeatedly. Watching these same unfortunate scenes play out again and again brings viewers to a conclusion the writers want: To understand Barry's negative impact. And the method works, too. By the end of the film, you will find yourself asking "Again?" And the chaos also leads in to the more overarching point of the film: Marion Barry's respect and legacy carried him through his darkest times.
Viewers will see the stark contrast between the first half of the film and the second. The film does respect the positive impact Barry had on the city, but it does so to set up the chaos. This plan is carried out perfectly; and viewers will certainly see and feel Barry's chaos. But does the film do so at the expense of paying full respects to Barry's positive impact?
Marion Barry Documentary Review
ehigday25 April 2023
The documentary "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry" tells the story of a politician whose career started with success and ended with scandal. Directed by Dana Flor in 2009, it recounts the life of the former mayor of Washington D. C., Marion Barry. In his first two terms, he was adored by the public, having advocated for the Black population and started organizations that provided jobs to many. In his third term, however, his career took a turn for the worse when he was arrested for the use of cocaine. He was re-elected shortly after his release, but continued to fail drug tests, as well as cheat on his wife. This documentary follows the changes in both his political career and personal life, and shows how Marion Barry's actions affected the people of Washington D. C. The documentary took a balanced position, including arguments both in favor and against Barry.
I felt this documentary had a great contrast between the two sides of Marion Barry. The first half depicted him as a hero; someone all the people loved and looked up to. It focused solely on the good he had done for D. C., and for a short time even made me want to believe he was a good person. This purely positive interpretation was very persuasive, and was a great build up to the second, more negative half of the documentary. In this part we see a drastic change in Barry. It focuses on his drug abuse and arrest, multiple affairs and poor treatment of his wife, and how D. C. crippled because of his lack of care towards his job. This greatly changes the perspective of the viewer, allowing them to see a new side of Barry. I thought the drastic change between the two halves of the documentary was a good representation of the drastic change in the behavior of Marion Barry between his terms.
However, in the second half it felt like some of the negative information was missing. The first half of Barry's accomplishments was very in-depth, but parts of the second seemed rushed. There seemed to be many bad things Barry did that were not included, or only briefly touched upon. For example, there was mention of Barry hiring people that were not qualified for their political jobs. I found this action interesting, and something that for me greatly takes away Barry's credibility, but there was not much focus on it. I would also have liked to see more detail on the effects of D. C. after Barry's multiple re-elections. Brief information on an increase in crime and drug use in the city was included, but I felt the documentary could have benefited from a larger focus on how his actions affected everyone in D. C., not just his supporters.
Overall, I thought the documentary was very informative and well-executed. The tactics of contrast and comparison used between the two halves kept it interesting and intriguing. While it could have included a little more information on his negative actions and effects, I felt the two legacies of Marion Barry and how he was viewed by the people around him at both times were accurate and well represented.
I felt this documentary had a great contrast between the two sides of Marion Barry. The first half depicted him as a hero; someone all the people loved and looked up to. It focused solely on the good he had done for D. C., and for a short time even made me want to believe he was a good person. This purely positive interpretation was very persuasive, and was a great build up to the second, more negative half of the documentary. In this part we see a drastic change in Barry. It focuses on his drug abuse and arrest, multiple affairs and poor treatment of his wife, and how D. C. crippled because of his lack of care towards his job. This greatly changes the perspective of the viewer, allowing them to see a new side of Barry. I thought the drastic change between the two halves of the documentary was a good representation of the drastic change in the behavior of Marion Barry between his terms.
However, in the second half it felt like some of the negative information was missing. The first half of Barry's accomplishments was very in-depth, but parts of the second seemed rushed. There seemed to be many bad things Barry did that were not included, or only briefly touched upon. For example, there was mention of Barry hiring people that were not qualified for their political jobs. I found this action interesting, and something that for me greatly takes away Barry's credibility, but there was not much focus on it. I would also have liked to see more detail on the effects of D. C. after Barry's multiple re-elections. Brief information on an increase in crime and drug use in the city was included, but I felt the documentary could have benefited from a larger focus on how his actions affected everyone in D. C., not just his supporters.
Overall, I thought the documentary was very informative and well-executed. The tactics of contrast and comparison used between the two halves kept it interesting and intriguing. While it could have included a little more information on his negative actions and effects, I felt the two legacies of Marion Barry and how he was viewed by the people around him at both times were accurate and well represented.
The Nine Lives of Marion Barry does a great job of discussing Marion Barry's flaws
nidriss25 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The Nine Lives of Marion Barry is a documentary produced by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer, released in 2009. It follows the story of Marion Barry, who was the mayor of Washington, D. C. from 1979-1991 and from 1995-1999. The documentary focuses on the controversy of Barry's position in office-how he became known as the "cocaine mayor" while simultaneously doing a lot of good for the city. The documentary mainly focuses on interviewing Barry, along with his third wife, Effi Barry. Other people who were interviewed in the documentary include Barry's godson and his opponents who ran against him for mayor; the documentary also shows regular people who had mixed views on Barry's leadership. The documentary starts by highlighting Barry's "good" qualities-it talks about how he helped unemployed people get jobs by creating an organization called Pride, and it also shows the hope he provided to people. He helped lots of ex-convicts get jobs and opened up government jobs to African American professionals. In many of the clips from the documentary, people are cheering for Barry and talking about how he brought Washington, D. C into a golden era by his second term as mayor. However, the documentary takes a turn when it shows how Barry became addicted to cocaine while simultaneously giving speeches on the dangers of cocaine and drugs. A lot of people in the documentary called Barry arrogant; he was portrayed as a laughingstock in the second half of the documentary.
The documentary portrayed Marion Barry as someone who got too many chances: people put too much faith in his ability to be a good mayor. A mayor, and any government official, for that matter, must be a good role model for the people and the city or nation they are representing. One of the opening lines of the documentary, which is later repeated when Barry is giving a speech in 1985 when he was running for his third term in office, is, "We are living in an imperfect world where people expect us to be perfect." Without any context, the quote seems inspirational and true. At the beginning of the documentary, when Barry has barely even been introduced, he comes across as a good leader. However, making mistakes and being imperfect is different from being a hypocritical person who provides hope only to let people down. The documentary addresses the good Barry did, but it mainly focuses on the irony of Barry's time as mayor.
Marion Barry may have been a good mayor for his first few terms as mayor, but he was a bad role model for people-especially people who were addicted to drugs like Barry. If the mayor is arrested for taking cocaine and is still able to be reelected, then someone can do drugs and still be successful-so it doesn't seem dangerous. Barry sent a bad message to people, allowing them to believe that he was a flawed person just like them, when really he used that as an excuse for breaking the law. In the documentary, Barry's hypocrisy was seen as ridiculous and even a little funny.
One key moment in the documentary is when Barry is coming out of jail, and a crowd of people are shown cheering for him, welcoming out of jail. The documentary explains that Barry was so well loved by people that he couldn't do anything unforgivable, but by emphasizing Barry's flaws, it suggests that he was not deserving of their repeated forgiveness. The documentary is accurate in portraying Marion Barry as a complicated and extremely flawed person who received too much forgiveness.
The documentary portrayed Marion Barry as someone who got too many chances: people put too much faith in his ability to be a good mayor. A mayor, and any government official, for that matter, must be a good role model for the people and the city or nation they are representing. One of the opening lines of the documentary, which is later repeated when Barry is giving a speech in 1985 when he was running for his third term in office, is, "We are living in an imperfect world where people expect us to be perfect." Without any context, the quote seems inspirational and true. At the beginning of the documentary, when Barry has barely even been introduced, he comes across as a good leader. However, making mistakes and being imperfect is different from being a hypocritical person who provides hope only to let people down. The documentary addresses the good Barry did, but it mainly focuses on the irony of Barry's time as mayor.
Marion Barry may have been a good mayor for his first few terms as mayor, but he was a bad role model for people-especially people who were addicted to drugs like Barry. If the mayor is arrested for taking cocaine and is still able to be reelected, then someone can do drugs and still be successful-so it doesn't seem dangerous. Barry sent a bad message to people, allowing them to believe that he was a flawed person just like them, when really he used that as an excuse for breaking the law. In the documentary, Barry's hypocrisy was seen as ridiculous and even a little funny.
One key moment in the documentary is when Barry is coming out of jail, and a crowd of people are shown cheering for him, welcoming out of jail. The documentary explains that Barry was so well loved by people that he couldn't do anything unforgivable, but by emphasizing Barry's flaws, it suggests that he was not deserving of their repeated forgiveness. The documentary is accurate in portraying Marion Barry as a complicated and extremely flawed person who received too much forgiveness.
The most beloved and hated mayor in the district left an everlasting mark on the political landscape of the District.
pholland-1930224 April 2023
The most beloved and hated mayor in the district left an everlasting mark on the political landscape of the District. Released in 2009, The Nine Lives of Marion Barry is a documentary directed by Daniel Flor and Toby Oppenheimer. The documentary portrayed the rise and fall of the DC Mayor, council, and board member Marion Barry, a leader in early DC politics as well as in the civil rights movement. The beginning of the documentary briefly picks up on Marion Barry's first public activism in the civil rights movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee all across the South. After moving to DC, he began his political career in 1974, winning a seat as a city council member of Ward 8 which is where the documentary begins to go deeper into his actions and campaigns across the district. The documentary follows him through both his mayoral elections, his city council campaigns, as well as his many scandals and controversies.
This documentary, while informative overall, cannot be fully trusted for use as a sole source of informative material due to its lack of depth into what Marion Barry's life was like outside of campaigns, but could be seen as a good beginning to an overview of the history of Marion Barry and even DC history as a whole. I felt like the documentary lacked much information on his upbringing, as well as what he did while in office. I also felt like it heavily relied on the viewers' current knowledge of the mayor, possibly targeting an older audience with memories of the time of when Marion Barry was elected and his controversies.
Something I liked about the documentary is the portrayal of all of his supporters and their unconditional love for the immensely flawed and controversial DC mayor that is Marion Barry. The documentary did a great job viewing both extremes as well as other, more specific views of the mayor and council member. It showed many of his campaign members advertising for his elections, to regular voters with power in Marion's elections, all the way to his opponents' views of him and their picking a part of his history and political efforts.
I also enjoyed the mix of original, primary video from the news, and from Barry's seemingly personal videographer, documenting his campaigns and influence on Ward 8, and the district. I feel like the mix of secondary reporting and live video meshed together so perfectly adds to the immersion of the viewer into the documentary, (the immersion of which is also helped by the many outrageous things portrayed throwing his many candidacies depicted.)
While the documentary could have gone deeper into certain parts of Barry's life and lacked information on what shaped Barry to be who he was as a DC Official, as well as some of his accomplishments during his time working for the people of the district, it did a great job of portraying his supporters and opponents, as well as his flaws and perfections.
This documentary, while informative overall, cannot be fully trusted for use as a sole source of informative material due to its lack of depth into what Marion Barry's life was like outside of campaigns, but could be seen as a good beginning to an overview of the history of Marion Barry and even DC history as a whole. I felt like the documentary lacked much information on his upbringing, as well as what he did while in office. I also felt like it heavily relied on the viewers' current knowledge of the mayor, possibly targeting an older audience with memories of the time of when Marion Barry was elected and his controversies.
Something I liked about the documentary is the portrayal of all of his supporters and their unconditional love for the immensely flawed and controversial DC mayor that is Marion Barry. The documentary did a great job viewing both extremes as well as other, more specific views of the mayor and council member. It showed many of his campaign members advertising for his elections, to regular voters with power in Marion's elections, all the way to his opponents' views of him and their picking a part of his history and political efforts.
I also enjoyed the mix of original, primary video from the news, and from Barry's seemingly personal videographer, documenting his campaigns and influence on Ward 8, and the district. I feel like the mix of secondary reporting and live video meshed together so perfectly adds to the immersion of the viewer into the documentary, (the immersion of which is also helped by the many outrageous things portrayed throwing his many candidacies depicted.)
While the documentary could have gone deeper into certain parts of Barry's life and lacked information on what shaped Barry to be who he was as a DC Official, as well as some of his accomplishments during his time working for the people of the district, it did a great job of portraying his supporters and opponents, as well as his flaws and perfections.
A documentary of a hero mayor and crack addict has some shortcomings of its portrayal but overall achieves its goal.
samwood-1244925 April 2023
In "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry", directed by Dana Flor and Tony Oppenheimer, the documentary provides views of supporters and opponents of the mayor as well as a timeline of events as to how he rose and fell as a politician. If you don't know who Marion Barry is he was the Mayor of DC for two terms as well as councilman for Ward 8. The documentary begins during the Civil rights movement where Marion Barry had just marched with Martin Luther King. The majority of the documentary shows his time as mayor, and how he eventually got busted by the FBI doing crack cocaine with another woman in a DC hotel. The end of the documentary shows how he was re-elected after being convicted with drug charges and spent many years after being mayor as the councilman for ward 8.
While the documentary did provide a good balance of supporters and non supporters of Barry, what it fails at is providing actual evidence of policies and acts that Barry had put in place to help people of color. One of the reasons the documentary provides as to why voters keep voting him in is because he did lots of things while mayor to help people of color, specifically black people, in the society of DC. But no policies are named or mentioned in the documentary leaving me pondering as to what he did for people of color in the district. If the documentary had said he made companies employ black people or something like that I may have a more favorable view of Barry but instead I'm left with a vague explanation of what he did well.
Something the documentary did well was switching between primary videos of when he was getting elected for mayor as well as his personal cameraman filming him while he ran to become councilman for ward 8. This allowed to provide a view of what Barry is like in his personal life and allows the viewer to escape from the mainstream media which Barry claims is out to get him during the crack cocaine bust because they don't want a black mayor.
Another aspect the documentary lacked was a transition between Marion Barry, the civil rights icon and hero mayor, and Marion Barry, a crook and crack addict. The documentary starts painting him as a hero from the beginning of a civil rights icon. While this is very important information, a few minutes later he is a terrible mayor. There needs to be more of a transition because instead it feels like a major reversal and the viewer is left asking, "Wasn't this guy a hero 10 minutes ago." Something that could help this is showing weaknesses of him while he is a civil rights icon because it would help create a smoother transition into him being a criminal.
In conclusion, the documentary provides the rise of the charismatic and egotistical hero of the city and the downfall of a crack addict making it an overall good film to watch, even with its shortcomings.
While the documentary did provide a good balance of supporters and non supporters of Barry, what it fails at is providing actual evidence of policies and acts that Barry had put in place to help people of color. One of the reasons the documentary provides as to why voters keep voting him in is because he did lots of things while mayor to help people of color, specifically black people, in the society of DC. But no policies are named or mentioned in the documentary leaving me pondering as to what he did for people of color in the district. If the documentary had said he made companies employ black people or something like that I may have a more favorable view of Barry but instead I'm left with a vague explanation of what he did well.
Something the documentary did well was switching between primary videos of when he was getting elected for mayor as well as his personal cameraman filming him while he ran to become councilman for ward 8. This allowed to provide a view of what Barry is like in his personal life and allows the viewer to escape from the mainstream media which Barry claims is out to get him during the crack cocaine bust because they don't want a black mayor.
Another aspect the documentary lacked was a transition between Marion Barry, the civil rights icon and hero mayor, and Marion Barry, a crook and crack addict. The documentary starts painting him as a hero from the beginning of a civil rights icon. While this is very important information, a few minutes later he is a terrible mayor. There needs to be more of a transition because instead it feels like a major reversal and the viewer is left asking, "Wasn't this guy a hero 10 minutes ago." Something that could help this is showing weaknesses of him while he is a civil rights icon because it would help create a smoother transition into him being a criminal.
In conclusion, the documentary provides the rise of the charismatic and egotistical hero of the city and the downfall of a crack addict making it an overall good film to watch, even with its shortcomings.
review
slowit25 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The Nine Lives of Marion Barry is a documentary made in 2009 produced by Dana Flor. It tells the story of the convoluted political career of the former mayor of Washington, DC. During his first terms, he started an organization called Pride, which helped many black people get jobs. He additionally advocated for civil rights, and helped turn Ward 8 into a safer and more desirable area. Because of this he had a lot of support from the black community. His career took a turn though, during his third term. He went to jail for cocaine, but was reelected soon after being let out. He continued to be reelected by the community even after failing drug tests and evidence of his cheating coming out. The producer of this documentary seems to balance the success of Marion Barry's campaign, with his flaws but was more biased towards Barry. I think the documentary could have included more detail about the flaws of Marion Barry.
The first part of the documentary focuses on Barry getting elected and the good he did for the black community. It includes many people voicing their support for him and how he gave the community hope. I think for the most part this is good because it is important to show the good things Marion did and accomplished for DC and that should not be forgotten because of his later mistakes. While Barry was using drugs during his mayorship, he was constantly getting in trouble and embarrassing himself. Dana Flor shows a clip of a standup comedy act about him and also people talking about how he is a joke. I think the documentary could have better shown how seriously how he was acting was affecting DC. He wasn't able to be there as a mayor for a community that needed and placed trust and hope in him. He was not only making a fool of himself but of the people of Ward 8.
On the other hand, I do think that the movie did a good job portraying how strongly people supported Marion. His supporters viewed every time he was reelected as redemption from his addiction and thought that if he could overcome his drug usage, so could they. Sadly he continued to fail them time and time again. Additionally Flor includes people voicing their opinions against Barry and how he should not be trusted let alone reelected. Although she included these opposing views of the former mayor, they are shown as something he overcomes and perseveres. This takes away their legitimacy as valid opinions many people had at the time and still had about the scandalous actions of the mayor.
Marion Barry was a mayor both loved and despised by many. The beginning of his political career made important strides for the middle class black community, but he got caught up in scandal and drug addiction which prevented him from being the mayor he was before; the one the people needed. Dana Flor includes both Barry's flaws and successes in her documentary, but I think she should have included more about his flaws.
The first part of the documentary focuses on Barry getting elected and the good he did for the black community. It includes many people voicing their support for him and how he gave the community hope. I think for the most part this is good because it is important to show the good things Marion did and accomplished for DC and that should not be forgotten because of his later mistakes. While Barry was using drugs during his mayorship, he was constantly getting in trouble and embarrassing himself. Dana Flor shows a clip of a standup comedy act about him and also people talking about how he is a joke. I think the documentary could have better shown how seriously how he was acting was affecting DC. He wasn't able to be there as a mayor for a community that needed and placed trust and hope in him. He was not only making a fool of himself but of the people of Ward 8.
On the other hand, I do think that the movie did a good job portraying how strongly people supported Marion. His supporters viewed every time he was reelected as redemption from his addiction and thought that if he could overcome his drug usage, so could they. Sadly he continued to fail them time and time again. Additionally Flor includes people voicing their opinions against Barry and how he should not be trusted let alone reelected. Although she included these opposing views of the former mayor, they are shown as something he overcomes and perseveres. This takes away their legitimacy as valid opinions many people had at the time and still had about the scandalous actions of the mayor.
Marion Barry was a mayor both loved and despised by many. The beginning of his political career made important strides for the middle class black community, but he got caught up in scandal and drug addiction which prevented him from being the mayor he was before; the one the people needed. Dana Flor includes both Barry's flaws and successes in her documentary, but I think she should have included more about his flaws.
Marion Barry's Crazy controversial life
franco-6443825 April 2023
The documentary "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry" shows Marion Barry's rise to power and fall from it, as well as how he was as a person and how he was seen as. If you don't know who Marion Barry is, he was the mayor of Washington D. C. for four terms and somehow kept running after being seen doing drugs on camera. This documentary is directed and produced by Dana Flor, and has interviews from tons of different perspectives and even an interview with Marion Barry and his wife themselves.
As someone who had only heard of Marion Barry once or twice I was shocked to find out the extent of his actions and how he was in power for so long. I thought that the documentary painted a fair picture of Marion Barry, and shows how he indeed did do many bad things, like doing cocaine and cheating on his wife. However, the documentary also tells the story of how Marion Barry gave many Black Americans in D. C. jobs and how he changed the government and made it fairer to people of color.
The documentary also shows the people's view of Marion Barry and how the citizens of Washington felt about him. I thought that the documentary did this part the best as it shows both sides and perspectives about Marion Barry. For example, the documentary had a ton of different interviews with different historians and civilians who voted for Marion Barry and citizens who didn't vote for him. Marion Barry himself and his wife are even interviewed for this documentary. I loved how the documentary did this and how they gave all these perspectives because it allowed the viewer to make their own connections and views about Marion Barry based on the facts that were presented and to what he says in his interview and how he acts.
The documentary also shows how some of Barry's strengths can also be some of his weaknesses. For example the documentary shows how charismatic Barry was and how that led him into power, but it also shows how women were led to him from his charisma and his wealth and power. The documentary also does an excellent job of taking the viewer for a ride nearing the end of the film. I remember I was jumping in my chair when it showed how he came back into power after there was video evidence of him snorting cocaine whilst cheating on his wife. This happened again when he was drug tested for cocaine and tested positive, but yet was somehow re-elected back into power for Ward 8. I thought that this part really separates the documentary from other films as this documentary had me invested in and I was actually interested in Barry's story about how he came into power.
Overall, I thought that this documentary portrayed Marion Barry in an unbiased way, and it allowed the viewer to decide how to see Marin Barry, rather than just being told an opinion on his situation and being influenced solely by that opinion. I also enjoyed how the documentary kept you interested with introducing all of the new things he was doing, but at the same time showing off all of his flaws and misdoings throughout his career. Despite all of this, I feel that the documentary deserves a 7/10 as it keeps you interested, however it takes some time to get going and can be quite slow in the early stages of the film.
As someone who had only heard of Marion Barry once or twice I was shocked to find out the extent of his actions and how he was in power for so long. I thought that the documentary painted a fair picture of Marion Barry, and shows how he indeed did do many bad things, like doing cocaine and cheating on his wife. However, the documentary also tells the story of how Marion Barry gave many Black Americans in D. C. jobs and how he changed the government and made it fairer to people of color.
The documentary also shows the people's view of Marion Barry and how the citizens of Washington felt about him. I thought that the documentary did this part the best as it shows both sides and perspectives about Marion Barry. For example, the documentary had a ton of different interviews with different historians and civilians who voted for Marion Barry and citizens who didn't vote for him. Marion Barry himself and his wife are even interviewed for this documentary. I loved how the documentary did this and how they gave all these perspectives because it allowed the viewer to make their own connections and views about Marion Barry based on the facts that were presented and to what he says in his interview and how he acts.
The documentary also shows how some of Barry's strengths can also be some of his weaknesses. For example the documentary shows how charismatic Barry was and how that led him into power, but it also shows how women were led to him from his charisma and his wealth and power. The documentary also does an excellent job of taking the viewer for a ride nearing the end of the film. I remember I was jumping in my chair when it showed how he came back into power after there was video evidence of him snorting cocaine whilst cheating on his wife. This happened again when he was drug tested for cocaine and tested positive, but yet was somehow re-elected back into power for Ward 8. I thought that this part really separates the documentary from other films as this documentary had me invested in and I was actually interested in Barry's story about how he came into power.
Overall, I thought that this documentary portrayed Marion Barry in an unbiased way, and it allowed the viewer to decide how to see Marin Barry, rather than just being told an opinion on his situation and being influenced solely by that opinion. I also enjoyed how the documentary kept you interested with introducing all of the new things he was doing, but at the same time showing off all of his flaws and misdoings throughout his career. Despite all of this, I feel that the documentary deserves a 7/10 as it keeps you interested, however it takes some time to get going and can be quite slow in the early stages of the film.
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