Kirby Dick has delivered two of the best documentaries that I've seen, Twist of Faith (Filmstalker review) and This Film Is Not Yet Rated (Filmstalker review), and so there was absolutely no question of not seeing his latest documentary Outrage, especially with the material it's covering.

Twist of Faith was hugely emotional and incredibly personal, This Film is Not Yet Rated dug deep into a business that was aged and corrupt and exposed it perfectly well, and now he's mixing these two ideas together in Outrage, a film that delves into one of the most aged and corrupt areas there is, politics, and looks at the hypocritical politicians who are secretly homosexual and spend their political lives voting against gay rights.

It's a powerful and shocking film, perhaps not as much as his previous documentaries, but it really does power home some surprising and outrageous facts.

Outrage looks at the American politicians who are outwardly heterosexual but secretly homosexual, trying to keep their true sexuality a secret and voting heavily against gay rights so that they can remain in power. The film examines some of these key politicians, their lies, their lives, and their position against such things as AIDS investment, gay marriage, and so on.

It's an excellent documentary, although I don't think it packs the same power as Twist of Faith (Filmstalker review) I think that's down to the much more powerful and hard hitting content of that documentary. Like This Film Is Not Yet Rated (Filmstalker review) it deals with the hypocracy of an organisation that has power over some form of public life. Before it was film, now with Outrage it's the law and human rights throughout America.

As always with Kirby Dick films the interviews, the comments gathered and the way it's all been edited together is excellent. He brings in some amazingly powerful contradictions using the words of the politicians themselves, their advertising campaigns, and the hard facts of their voting records against the key issues relating to gay rights in America. This makes for plenty of moments where you'll be surprised enough to draw breath or shake your head in disbelief. The idiocy and sheer callousness of human greed and desire is always a surprise, but here Kirby Dick just shows how hypocritical human's can be in the pursuit of power.

I must admit that I was a little on the fence about the idea of outing people against their will when the film began, I wasn't really sure if that was fair or right, but then when you see that voting record and what they are doing to the rights of other gay people in the name of the public good, I found that concern disappeared. Any doubt was destroyed when a politician, whose name I forget, said that these people are ignoring the laws that they are setting for the public to abide by, they aren't above the law, and yet they behave as though they are.

There's some strong styling through the film again, mainly in the graphical sections between the interviews, in the sections showing press cuttings and the voting records. With the score they all add a strong dramatic element that builds well and delivers more punch when the bigger moments arrive.

One thing I did notice that I appreciated in the film is that no one is labelled other than their title and political party, and it's a little thing but a very important thing. It's not about the sexuality of the politicians, it's about the hypocracy and lies of these people representing the American public, that their lies are harming the lives of real people as they vote against the rights of gay people in America, creating laws that they expect the public to follow while they lie to avoid them.

Once again Kirby Dick has delivered a powerful and hard hitting documentary pouring light on an important and well hidden subject. He presents a very powerful case and presents it solidly, if not completely air tight, with his strong editing and stylish approach, although always ensuring that the content and the message are at the fore.

I'd highly recommend this documentary to anyone, as I would all of his documentaries, and this has to be seen by the majority of the voting public in America. Like in so many free countries their human rights are being eroded and their politicians are lying in order to gain power and position. With the rights of gay people in America almost non-existant, it needs these people to stand up for who they are and stop being the ones at the front of the movement to destroy these rights.

This is another important documentary from Kirby Dick that shows film can hold a powerful place in our lives, not just as entertainment.

Filmstalker at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009
Buy or Rent from Lovefilm
Buy from or
UK IMDB Film Details