2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
The town of Richland, Washington is a town steeped in history, history that makes many question whether or not things here need to change. During World War II Richland housed numerous individuals that worked on the Manhattan Project, and this town became known for its massive role in the development of the nuclear bomb. Richland examines this town’s past and interviews a series of individuals that have some unique takes on the place in which they live.
In terms of content and subject matter, Richland is one of the more interesting documentaries that I’ve seen in a long time. This is a documentary that strays from what has become the norm: poverty, equality, and the like. While those films still have a place in cinema, it’s nice to see something so different from that, and Richland explores a new pocket of film.
What Director Irene Lusztig does so well is reach in so many different directions, not focusing on one type of person, but rather speaking with people from all walks of life. Viewers see high school students, couples in their eighties, war veterans, and individuals that are still connected to Richland’s history–and that variety allows for a series of different points of view. By having all of these points of view come to be throughout the course of Richland viewers are able to form their own opinions and better understand all that has transpired throughout the course of history of this town. The point of a documentary is to educate on a subject–and Richland does just that from beginning to end.
This thing that allows Richland to thrive is the same thing that causes the film to struggle from time to time. I wish that Richland had played out in a more linear fashion, in a way that was slightly easier to follow. That’s not to say that this documentary is hard to understand, but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why interviews exist in the order that they do. Had Richland been broken up into chapter-like sections with students in one, veterans in another, and so on and so forth, the sometimes jumbled nature of the film could have been avoided.
Lusztig and her team find a series of footage that manages to elevate Richland to new heights. Finding that much archived footage is a challenge, but this team accomplishes this and really helps to supplement the interviews. Furthermore, finding ways to fit this footage into the film without it seeming out of place or ineffective is just–and they accomplish this as well. While the film doesn’t always play out in a linear fashion, that footage never feels frumpy or unnecessary–always finding its way and supporting Richland.
Again, the main purpose of a documentary is to educate viewers on a specific subject–and that’s exactly what Richland does. Throughout the film’s entirety viewers hear about the past and how that past has affected the present–and I’m sure that viewers will enjoy Richland as a result. Had the film found a more linear way to tell its story, had it been less frumpy along the way it would have thrived even more. But Richland, and the team behind creating it, are successful.
Directed by Irene Lusztig.
Starring Donald Sorenson, R.L. Buschbom, Sheila Buschbom, Michael Neidhold, Teresa Knirck, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments