REVIEW: ’23 Mile’ dissects America’s divisiveness, without judgment
Photo: 23 Mile, a film that dissects the divisions in the United States, will play SF DocFest on Thursday, June 6. Photo courtesy of filmmaker / Provided by Millennial PR with permission.
What’s refreshing about the new documentary 23 Mile, directed by Mitch McCabe, is that the images, many of them stark, scary and startling, are presented without judgment. The director, who also produced and edited the nonfiction film, decides to keep the camera rolling and allow people to speak, from all sides of the debates that occurred during the tumultuous times in the United States, circa 2020. There are many topics on the minds of the people interviewed, everything from the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement to President Donald Trump and candidate Joe Biden. McCabe takes a lot of their content in and then moves on to the next person.
This non-intrusive take on American divisiveness is an interesting decision. For starters, the film feels purely journalistic and resoundingly apolitical, which are a good attributes when covering controversial topics. However, there’s also the concern that some radical voices are being platformed without being scrutinized or corrected. This is one of the challenges of modern-day journalism: When should unfettered opinions, even harsh ones, be allowed to be expressed without turning off the cameras? What happens if opinions are based on faulty facts? Media outlets certainly have an obligation to educate their audience members on the truth (a loaded word for sure), but what happens when those very facts are now part of the debate?
McCabe’s approach is appreciated because they’re able to document — in the truest sense of that word — what went on during the cataclysmic 2020 election cycle. This country was tested in so many different ways, and 23 Mile is able to preserve the debates for future generations to learn from. Although some of the viewpoints will no doubt prove objectionable to many viewers, there is something interesting about spending time with people and letting them talk. Cable news shows often cut off people from sharing their full opinion. Ditto for congressional hearings, including the most recent one with Dr. Anthony Fauci, which feel like bad theater and readymade for soundbites. McCabe proves that when people aren’t cut off, they seem relaxed and open up a bit more. Again, some of their shared information can veer into unhelpful untruths that are presented as facts, but other times, a person’s identity comes through to the audience.
One source in the film travels a long distance from her West Virginia home to sell Trump masks at a political rally, and because the cameras are not turned away, audiences learn a little more about her personal life and family dynamics. The time spent with this source is not to necessarily endorse her political beliefs; this exchange is meant, one can surmise, to better understand a fellow person, a fellow human.
The focus of the documentary is not the entire United States. Instead, McCabe centers on the state of Michigan, which had a particularly challenging time during the pandemic and presidential election year. This was the state that even had a governor-kidnapping plot foiled, and this criminal episode is mentioned throughout the film almost as a framing device.
Not all of the speech in the film seems terribly productive. At one point, McCabe is able to capture competing protestors who are essentially trying to drown each other out with megaphones. Some may look at the scene as comical; others will see a sadness for the breakdown of decorum. Still others may see people trying their best to exercise their First-Amendment rights. McCabe probably sees the situation as a microcosm for the United States as a whole: two megaphones yelling at each other. In these few minutes, one can see the divisions of this country laid bare.
23 Mile is not perfect as a piece of journalistic work, but as a travelogue of a time and place, it’s powerful filmmaking. It’s scary and possibly unwise to simply hit record and let everything and everyone find their way into the lens of a professional documentary. That platforming criticism is a serious one, but there’s no denying that this film, more than most, is able to capture a moment — a moment that continues to linger well into 2024.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
23 Mile, directed by Mitch McCabe, plays SF DocFest on Thursday, June 6. Running time: 78 minutes. Not Rated. Rating: 
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