Written and directed by Jeff L. Lieberman, in 1970, when the United States was ruled by men, Bella Abzug challenged the status quo, running a successful campaign from the streets of Manhattan that elevated her all the way to the halls of Congress. With her trademark hat and Bronx swagger, Bella entered Congress swinging, battling for credit cards for women, equality for the LGBTQ community and trailblazing a path for leadership.
Starring: Eve Abzug, Liz Abzug, Hillary Clinton, Shirley MacLaine, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Barbra Streisand, Renée Taylor, Marlo Thomas, Lily Tomlin, Maxine Waters, Faye Wattleton and more.
There will always be women both historically and today who pave the way, who start a new path towards equality whether it be politics, business, sports or otherwise, Bella Abzug is one of those women. Bella! explores her achievements and what her legacy has meant to the women who came after, who sought a career in politics and worked for change. It’s a shame that so often these women are not remembered, they are not taught in schools or well-known by the general public so any chance to celebrate them is always welcome.
It’s both fascinating and depressing to watch how fervently men would work to try and undermine or get rid of Bella Abzug but she remained a thorn in their side for as long as she possibly could. The wonderful array of talking heads, mixed with some superb archive footage gives the great impression of how loud, proud and immovable she was. The film is filled with an air of nostalgia, that 1970s footage really hits a great note and establishes the feeling of the time. It’s also tinged with that feeling of exhaustion, how much any progress for women had to be fought tooth and nail, which takes a toll on a person, yet Bella never gave up.
However, given Bella’s huge personality and strength, it’s a shame that the style of the documentary doesn’t really do her justice. It’s playing things very by the book, with a formulaic and somewhat old-fashioned style which moves in a predictable fashion. It feels as though the film is missing an injection of energy, something to match the fervent passion which pours out of Bella. The simplicity misses the opportunity to capture the complexity of its subject.
Bella! gives another example of how important it is to cement and celebrate women’s place in history. To see how far women have come in politics, though there is plenty of progress still to be made, it’s vital to show those who came before, who opened the door for today’s politicians. The style plays things too simply, it’s following a stereotypical formula and not embracing the strength of its subject. Although the choices of footage and variety of talking heads are wonderful and there’s plenty to learn.
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