[.ca] White Lies

White Lies?:
A surprising telefilm from 1999 that ranks as one of the better neo-Nazi dramas out there. Better because of its straight forward and even handed treatment of its controversial subject. It also happens to be very well acted. Sarah (Go) Polley is a Canadian college student who tries to retain her White identity in a global economy of immigrant hordes, affirmative action and secular morality. Angry at the smug counter-morality of Liberals, she eventually falls in with the National Identity Movement, a group that has refined itself to a militia core of White activits and neo-Nazi ideologues commited to taking Canada back by any means necessary. Intelligent and articulate, she's perfectly suited to a high profile position as spokesperson for NIM. However, the violent action from anti-racist activists make it clear that the world White Nationalism is too dangerous for her. So what does she do? Yep, she rejects her ideology and betrays her friends....I smell the contrivance of a pathetic Liberal screenwriter. For this to work, Catherine's choices must be credible and we need to understand what's making her tick. As the film nears its resolution, this becomes increasingly difficult to do. But in the end, White Lies is perhaps second only to Romper Stomper in its honest approach to White activists and their anti-racist enemies.

A compelling film:
I enjoyed this TV movie when it aired, and I was surprised and pleased to see it quickly made available on VHS. Having bought it, I was even more surprised and pleased when it later became available on DVD and promptly bought it again since the DVD has additional features. Why surprised? Because rarely do such well made, thought-provoking and feeling-provoking films become widely available. Why pleased? Because this is a film that can help to elucidate and therefore perhaps contribute to the demise of the situation that it describes. We have here only a film, but it can be a valuable tool if used appropriately and without didacticism to show young people and perhaps some older individuals as well the reality of this serious problem among us. Sarah Polley provides a depth of performance obtained from already acting for many years despite her young age at the time the film was made, and she brings a subtle but believable reality to her young character who, unfortunately, is not perhaps as rare as we might believe her to be in our society. Nothing is over played, everything speaks for itself. The rest of the cast have impressive credentials as well, and each lends a three dimensional fullness to their characters. The writer and the director, of course, are owed a huge debt of gratitude for bringing this film to fruition. However, a nagging paradox is applicable to the film: to warn against violence, one has to depict it. Therefore, parts of the film may be very disturbing for some. But, like receiving a shocking diagnosis of cancer, through this film at least we have a chance to fight the disease rather than have it consume us while we continue in blissful ignorance of its presence.