Trouble the Water (2008) User Reviews

Go see it!

[Rucker · 8/10 · 13 June 2008]

A worthwhile trip through the disturbing events of Katrina, an honest film, even if on occasion not so subtly directing its viewers towards particular and easily-held opinions.

There are several striking images in the film, including a recording of a 911 call in which an woman requesting help can't get out of her attic which is flooding. The 911 attendant has to inform her that there is no help at this time, and the victim replies, "So I'm going to die?" Silence on the other end of the line.

It seems like the majority of the film is snatched from the video camera of a survivor, as such the footage can be, well, not professional, but in the end it doesn't matter, perhaps even adding to the realism. It turns out that the couple filming is a set of intriguing characters with admirable qualities. They are from the ninth ward, a poor section of New Orleans hit hardest by the storm, yet for those of us without that much contact with society's underbelly or the semi-destitute, they will probably surprise you with their values, intelligence, resolve and resourcefulness.

The strength of the film for me was not in any attempts at blame or inciting anger at a lack of assistance and the seeming complacency of leadership, but in a reflection on the human struggle, manifested through an inspiring family, and in a basic reminder to examine, nourish, and befriend your own community.

A documentary for the People, by the People

[GethinVanH · 8/10 · 26 December 2009]

A must-see documentary for anyone interested in the suppression of the poor in the United States. What went down in New Orleans was something even the corporate media had a hard time hiding. FOX News was reporting on Hurricane Katrina and saying the place looked like the 3rd world. The images were startling on the US news, but there was still the undertones of profit. "How will this affect gasoline prices?" Julie Chen asks on the CBS morning show after showing footage of all the homeless blacks.

This is the story as told by the people themselves, not by Anderson Cooper or anyone else. This is how the story should be told because these are the people who lived with it. It's not even a story anyone in uniform could tell because they were part of the problem in New Orleans.

One scene of this documentary allows the locals to narrate how they tried to go to a local Navy base in New Orleans which had been evacuated before the storm. It was empty and it had housing for people which wasn't being used. The National Guard who were protecting the building cocked and loaded M-16s and pointed them at the crowd. Nope, these aren't the stories you hear about on CNN.

You won't hear the story about a man in prison for a misdemeanour before the storm hit either. The television was taken away by the guards before footage of the storm was on the air, when the prisoners finally heard that there was a hurricane outside, they were denied food and most of the guards left.

This is a very good documentary, and an important one because it shows the failings of government. The government doesn't fail everyone, it takes very good care of the rich and businesses, which recovered quicker than anyone else in New Orleans. The government failures are biased towards the poor and visual minorities and this doc. pretty much confirms that thesis.

Four years on and not much has changed in the 9th ward, but the casino is open and the tourism department is showing a flashy video urging people to come to New Orleans. The poor black people aren't around any more, except when they're working for minimum wage. The rest have been displaced from the city where they lived but no longer trust to live in anymore.

Katrina is just one of the legacies of the Bush administration and perhaps a strong indication that the US is a country whose power is in decline. What can you possibly say about a country which won't even help its weakest and most destitute citizen? It sucks.

First world, third world

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 5 March 2009]

The story of the U.S. government's response to hurricane Katrina remains shocking at many levels: the poor quality of the flood defences, the complete inadequacy of plans for evacuation, recovery and regeneration; and above all else, the overwhelming sense that at heart, no-one cared because most of those affected were poor and black. The ground has been covered extensively by Spike Lee in his magisterial film 'When the Levees Broke'; 'Trouble the Water' is a more personal account, a video diary shot by a resident during and after the storm. But it still contains plenty of gruesome insights: the failure to evacuate the hospitals and prisons, and the protection of higher ground from homeless citizens by the armed forces of the U.S. navy, are the most terrible details. The film also depicts the huge burden of trying to rebuild a life that has been completely swept away. As a piece of pure cinema, it's limited; but it's a story that needs to be told and re-told until something is eventually done. Nothing we see gives us confidence that next time, it really will be different, and the citizens of New Orleans will get the first-world treatment that America could surely afford to give them, if only it cared.

The specific nature of tragedy

[Michael Fargo · 10/10 · 5 September 2008]

It begins as a lark. A video camera is switched on to record an approaching storm. We get to meet the smiling faces of videographers as they laugh and cajole. We on the other hand know what's about to confront them. Or at least we think we do.

This is a magnificent use of home video built in to a rage against poverty and illiteracy and racism. You can blame the victims here all you want, but image after image, scene after scene the plight of being an African American in this country is shoved in their faces...and in ours.

The lives of this family in the Lower 9th Ward are vividly drawn by themselves. When they confront what is outside, i.e., the post-segregation South, we are startled at the condescension, scorn and devaluation of human lives...if your skin is the wrong color.

The people here have no apologies for their lives. They lay it out and I suspect many will resist what struggles they face. But scene after scene, you can't walk away from this film without a better understanding of racism in America.

The stubborn will ask "Why didn't they leave when they were supposed to?" And this film records "How were they supposed to?" and "Where were they going to go?" In the face of it all, those who survive manage here to triumph. While the footage of the disaster is why most people will buy the ticket to see this, it's the struggle to survive, not only Katrina, that will last in the viewer's mind.

A revelation

[storysplicer · 10/10 · 18 September 2008]

This is very dramatic and satisfying film on a character level in a way that When The Levees Broke, as good as it was, was not. I always prefer documentaries that are character driven. "Water" gives you a window into a world that usually is hermetically sealed from the rest of society, and humanizes the "ghetto" in a way I've never seen before. You really get to know the couple and you sympathize with them, even though they are far from what most people would call upstanding members of society. The world they come from is usually overlooked or glamorized in gangster films, but because Kim (the wife) did the filming of her community during the hurricane, it is authentic. It really is a testament to how technology (in this case, the amateur video camera) has democratized society and what is possible when the voiceless find their voice. It's the antidote to "Hustle and Flow" in EVERY way. When Kim raps, it comes at a devastating moment in the film and she has your full attention, and you identify with every word, and you totally understand why she is the way she is, and why rap can be such powerful poetry. It's not just some soundtrack. Musically, the film is great on many levels -- the score, and the other songs chosen.

Life after Katrina for a couple from New Orleans 9th ward

[rasecz · 7/10 · 6 April 2008]

Hurricane Katrina 2005. The ravage of New Orleans. The flooding of the ninth ward. A couple who did not evacuate tells a story of survival and the consequences.

The couple in question is the subject of this documentary. It blends newsreels and footage taken by the couple and the directors. It's not polished, but it's real.

We see amateur shots of the period immediately preceding the arrival of the hurricane, the storm itself, the rising water, the flood aftermath. The couple moves out of New Orleans not intent in coming back. Eventually they do come back and rebuild.

The problem with this documentary is that the exciting part comes at the start. As it gathers distance from the tragic events, it loses steam and eventually becomes borderline boring.

The most pointed line, said by a mother to her son as regard the occupation of Iraq: "You're not going to fight for a country that does not give a damn about you."

There's quite of bit of rap composed by the wife. If you like rap, it's pretty good.

Strong documentary showing the test of human spirit

[jjcremin-1 · 10/10 · 30 August 2008]

Living at Los Angeles, I missed an opportunity of see Danny Glover, probably most famous as being the co-star of the Lethal Weapon series and one of the leads of Steven Spielberg's THE COLOR PURPLE, I stayed to see what I thought to be a most intriguing documentary of eye witness accounts of Hurricane Katrina.

The day of this writing, August 29, 2008, another hurricane called Gustav threatens New Orleans again. This documentary won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year. Interspersed with news programs, cars leaving the city and President Bush promising not to worry, help is on the way for all those in need, this shows a family being stranded right before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. For this family, there was not only not any help being on the way, photographic evidence that the government imposed obstacles to survivors who were too poor to evacuate.

However, the general tone of this movie is that of a personal will of survival. That tone is set by Katherine Roberts, then aspiring rap artist, who shot the footage of being trapped, the danger being very well. Images shot just prior to the storm include an alcoholic uncle who will perish. The streets become rivers and the house just below them submerged. It shows a strong neighbor Frank swimming in the water helping the women and children. It should be noted that most of the documentary subjects are African American.

Two weeks later, Katherine and her husband run into documentarians Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. With their help, the Roberts visually retell how they found a boat, loaded up grandma and the kids and were able to escape the very much underwater neighborhood. They recount how hundreds, actually thousands, were turned away from a near empty naval base. Turned away with the use of M-16 rifles.

It must be noted Lessin and Deal initially planned to shoot a documentary of the Louisiana Brigade going to Iraq. After the hurricane happened, instead of helping in their own state, the brigade were shipped off to Iraq.

The journey continues with the Roberts. They're able to get a truck and go up for refuge in South Memphis. They are amazed how a black community can be kept up and actually be in good neighborhoods partly due to the tourist trade Memphis gets. Speaking of the tourist trade, the French Quarter and Downtown where most of the tourists go are fixed right away. Almost comically to see a tourist commercial with the eighty per cent that still laid in ruins.

The Roberts have trouble getting FEMA relief. By the way, a great version of John Lee Hooker's "Money" is played to a series of unsmiling faces.

Katherine shows her chops as well. One of her hip hop songs is called "Amazing". The refrain roughly goes like this: "I don't need anyone else to tell me I'm amazing." Able to smile while endearing personal and financial loss was quite inspiring to see.

Maybe I'm a black man trapped by a white man's body. Actually, I believe what affects one group affects us all. And I didn't need Danny Glover to enjoy this film. I do admit that it would have been more fun.

Flipping The Middle Finger To All That Deserve It (and jamming it into the eye socket,all the way to the 3rd knuckle)

[Seamus2829 · 10/10 · 11 January 2009]

Back in 2005, when Kimberly Roberts,a up & coming rapper from the 9th Ward in New Orleans first heard of what was going to be a major hurricane in her neck of the woods,she got her hands on a used video camera from a street hustler,looking to make a quick buck & started to record anything & everything she saw (with the assistance of her husband,Scott). Four days later,her world,as she knew it,drowned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Documentary film makers Carl Deal & Tia Lessin (who had worked on 'Fahrenheit 9/11',etc.)were in New Orleans,filming all of the mass mayhem & became acquainted with the Roberts' & offered to use their crude,clumsy,kitchen sink video footage as part of their documentary film project. The results of this collaboration is 'Trouble The Water' (the title of a Gospel song that is heard on the soundtrack). This powerful film is cinema verite at it's best. It easily takes it's place among recently released documentaries on Katrina ('Camp Katrina',etc.). This documentary is produced by HBO,which means that it will probably turn up there some time later for those who missed the opportunity to see it in cinemas. No rating,but contains vulgar language & some disturbing sights & sounds.

stunning, hilarious, one of the most important films in years

[moth0 · 10/10 · 8 May 2008]

Wow. This is absolutely the best documentary I've seen in years, and hands-down most engaging and relevant piece I have seen on the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. It is outstanding: funny, tragic, sharp and smart. Kim simply steals the show, even she's videotaping and you can't even see her, you can only hear her voice from behind the camera. The film is centered around Kim's footage of the hurricane and her life. She is a gifted storyteller and also quite a good rapper. When I saw the film, the theater burst out into spontaneous applause after she performed one of her songs in its entirety on film; in the Q&A, the directors' said that had happened every single time it's been screened.

life washed away

[lee_eisenberg · 6 September 2011]

Everyone saw footage of Hurricane Katrina on the news. Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" dealt extensively with the storm and the lack of response. "Trouble the Water" consists mostly of camcorder footage shot by New Orleans resident Kimberly Roberts before during and after the storm. Partly about the hurricane, the documentary also poses the question of what America is supposed to be all about if it lets this happen to thousands of people, most of them poor and black.

Hurricane Katrina, like the September 11 attacks (whose tenth anniversary is in a few days), is something that should always be remembered, maybe more so. It showed how detached the government had become from its most vulnerable citizens. The collapse of the levees and subsequent flooding of the Lower Ninth Ward became an excuse to dismantle New Orleans's public school system and replace it with vouchers. The documentary is even more relevant now, after Louisiana got a second strike in the form of the Deepwater Horizon spill.

Overrated! Less a documentary than a promo for Ms. Rivers

[s_paskey · 3/10 · 15 September 2009]

How much are you willing to pay to see some amazing footage shot in the Ninth Ward during the storm? That's what it really comes down to, because there's no other reason to see this "documentary" ... and I use that word loosely. If you've been paying attention during the last few years (I have), you will learn NOTHING NEW about the storm, the aftermath, or how it affected the poor residents of the city. You will learn a lot about Kim Rivers, who seems to have a rather high opinion of herself. Here's a question for Ms. Rivers: Your uncle died in the storm. Before the storm, he was lying on YOUR porch, drunk or stoned or both. You knew the storm was coming; you knew he couldn't take care of himself; and you let him wander away, barely able to walk. So who's fault is it that he's dead? I'll give you a clue: it ain't the police, or the Bush administration, or the Army Corps of Engineers, or the city of New Orleans. Sit with that for a while, and get back to us if you think of something.

Best of the current documentaries

[tt39966 · 10/10 · 22 August 2008]

I just saw this film tonight, at it's opening in Hollywood, and encourage this to go nationwide. It breaks my heart at how our corrupt government completely ignored the cries of the people. It's almost as if the government was looking for a reason to destroy the population of the 9th Ward in New Orleans (i.e.: a form of genocide). This is a very powerful study of the devastation from the "ground" floor -- thanks to Kimberly Rivers Roberts (and her husband Scott) home videos.

During the closing credits, the filmmakers showed what the current status of all the characters -- including the Captain of the Naval Base and his Presidential Commendation for protecting the (disbanned) base from possible terrorist activity.

I'm a high school Social Studies teacher in Los Angeles and can't wait for the DVD so I can share this with my students.

Trouble the Water... Water over the Bridge

[juliankennedy23 · 8/10 · 7 October 2009]

Trouble the Water: 8 out of 10: Kimberly Roberts is a 24-year-old rap hopeful who took some incredible footage just before and during hurricane Katrina. Carl Deal and Tia Lessin who came down to Louisiana to film a different project about Katrina and found both her and her footage, they switched gears and this movie was the result.

The most amazing footage is the pre-Katrina scenes. Kimberly knows her neighborhood and is a real person. She asks people what they are going to do about the hurricane her uncle buys another bottle of booze, stumbles home, while a 10-year-old pigtailed niece flashes a gang sign, and declares she is not scared of any water.

While I know that neighborhoods like this exist it is still shocking to see people live like this first hand in America. One of the sad strange truths that ooze out of the film is that Katrina is the best thing that ever happened to Kimberly and her friends. The disaster probably saved her life or at the very least gave her a chance at a new one.

Orphaned at 13 when her mother died of AIDS Kimberly is no shrinking violet and she certainly tells it like it is. While Michael Moore veterans Carl Deal and Tia Lessin add structure and social commentary to the film this is Kimberly’s show. The show is both moving and truly fascinating.

They left her behind. They left our mom behind.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 7 October 2009]

That this could happen in America is a crime of such a magnitude that no words coming from the Bush administration could ever erase the shame. An amateur rented a camera and her video is supplemented by profession work in this Oscar nominated and Sundance award winning film.

The fact that we had rapid response to the storms that hit Texas afterwards does not negate what happened in Louisiana. This short film brings home the crime that was committed upon this city and it's residents.

Navy personnel aiming M-16s at a crowd of survivors just looking for a warm and dry place to sleep is indicative of the lack of care the government displayed in the aftermath of Katrina. "Get off our property or we're gonna start shooting." Excellent film about some people got their lives together on their own.

Trouble the Water Comments

[tladams66 · 9/10 · 16 July 2011]

This is a must see movie by all God's children around the world. It a secret the US Government would like to hide. This movie gives an honest and compiling account on how all of us can prepare and respond to natural disasters. The US Government did and continues to fail the citizens of New Orleans. However, this movie also focuses upon the inner faith and strength the citizens of New Orleans have. I pray this documentary gets maximum exposure. People from around the world need to see a true and accurate account of what occurred before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. It is my hope that people and government's from around the world take note of how to prepare for natural disasters.

Starts strong but lasts too long. (spoilers)

[pazu7 · 9/10 · 24 August 2008]

I think the main problem with this film is that it is a bit too long. IMO, it's an important film as a document of the times, but it could have been a 60 minute documentary.

The most intriguing thing about it is also its weak point. The video footage shot by Ms Roberts and her husband is utilized well at the onset, sliced with news clips whose irony is tragic. Naturally "Heck-uv-a-job" Brownie has his moment and even the Smirking Chimp has a little cameo. Their words contrast sharply with the reality of what is shown in the home video, the bodies, the drowned homes, a military installation rewarded for turning survivors away. All of it revealing and compelling.

But I think the film makers try to sell the characters and tragedy when they don't have to. It's obvious and genuinely moving. And there's a whole of lot follow up that, while necessary, IMO is a bit overplayed.

I gave it an 9 because I think it is important. I think everyone should see it.

Katrina Hurricane and one big looooong complain

[s-p-a-simon · 2/10 · 9 September 2009]

As an Eropean, and never been in USA, I was shocked by seeing the people that live in the shown flooded areas. I wish there were subtitles all the way cause none was to be understood!!! . Sure, everyone knows about the failures during this drama of the Bush government, no question about that, but i do think many could of thought of leaving the neighborhoods and...taking there responsibilities with them, such as.....DOGS and other animals!!!!

They were warned and informed all the time and they saw TV.

(Amazing how the narrators of this documentary treat their dogs after leaving them on their own) Many did take their animals i am sure...but not in those areas, i bet they do dogfights too if you see the cages and the type of breed of dogs) What a poverty what misery people in New Orleans..i thought i was watching people from Johannesburg South Africa.

I am not surprised that a combination of lack of the government help and the kind of people, drugs dealers junkies etc etc that were hit, lead to this catastrophic aftermath.

I always wanted to see New Orleans but i think i will skip after seeing this documentary.

No good, its is one big crying and lashing out and NOT looking at own responsibilities and listening to warnings by the government. Evacuation order means evacuation...better walk miles out if the city in DRY streets then with water up to your shoulders.

And the junkie that died in the house was walking around half dead before Kartina stroked. If they care so much about their neighbors and friends..they should of invited him into there home, was to be expected the man would not survive.

The docu became very boring and doesn't deserve an Oscar for sure in my humble opinion.

I hope there was some sort of animal rescue drifter Katrina struck but i guess not cause the people were abounded themselves

We're right there with her, survivors

[childprodigygiftedadult · 10/10 · 14 March 2024]

I didn't get a lot of information when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, but as new documentary film makers, my boyfriend and I try to get the most accurate info we can find -this gets my vote for the Oscar, my apologies for not finding it sooner. This is an honest, raw, survivors story that tells us everything as it really happened. It is a work of art, love and the reality of living through this heart wrenching account of what hurricane Katrina brought with her by the storm -and then even more so with the aftermath faced by so many people with no where to go, and very little assistance from the services designed to protect American citizens in the wake of disaster. I want to thank Tia, and her family and friends for showing us what really happened. It's a small world, I would love to meet you someday, and give you a big hug, I feel like I've made a friend.

Incompetence

[asc85 · 8/10 · 2 April 2013]

I'm certainly no Michael Moore fan, and had I known he was involved in this film, I probably would have passed on it. But I'm very glad I saw it, as it was powerful, shocking and heartbreaking. Of course I knew what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but the self-shot footage as well as some of the personal interviews were new ground for me and in most cases, quite heartbreaking.

Maybe I liked this film so much because I focused on what I saw, and divorced this from the politics and racism that some people want to see in this movie. The government's response (including African-American mayor Ray Nagin, who didn't plan for having buses to evacuate people who didn't have cars) showed complete incompetence. If anyone thinks the lack of response was racially motivated, come see how great and fast the government response was in New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy. Sadly, the government talks a big game, but can't step up when we need their help. I believe there were lessons learned by the government with Katrina and Sandy, and future responses will be the better for it. But who wants to be a part of terrible disasters like this again?

typical Michael Moore style half truths

[mackdaddy1-1 · 3/10 · 7 May 2011]

While the movie started good it quickly seemed to push its slanted view of the truths surrounding Katrina. The language was very, very offensive and I almost quit viewing because subtitles were needed due to poor sound quality. The movie covered the Navy Base as an outpost intended to keep the natives out. Actually the USS Totuga was there 2 hours after Louisiana Governor Blanco "finally" asked for help about 5 days after Katrina. A lot of the people in the movie seemed to be asking for the government to take care of them although they didn't want to leave New Orleans before the storm. The Navy actually built kennels for hundreds of dogs and housed locals that were homeless and gave them thousands of meals. Coincidently this same ship helped the Japanese after their tsunami. I found it interesting that the subjects spent so much time complaining about the national government and President Bush, but work seemed like an afterthought.

Grittiness at its best, humanity at it's worst.

[mpb7774 · 1/10 · 5 March 2012]

If you are looking for a documentary about a waste of air (former drug dealer, aspiring rap artist - enough said) that you can barely understand due to slurry ghetto speak, then this documentary is for you. This woman had a rough life, blah de blah de blah. She has done nothing to improve on it, which is what this documentary proves. Yet she is all "trust in God," while following none of the basic rules of how to be a good person. It's sickening, and incredibly sad. The pivotal moment, at least for me, is her and her crew returning to their home after Katrina, camera rolling and good teeth flashing, to find their dog has survived the flood. They abandoned their dog, people. And want you to believe there's a respect for life here as she one millionth of a percent worries about her neighbors and where their bodies might be. They then bitch about the National Guard not being there as soldiers walk through their backyard, and point out that only the ASPCA has been there. Maybe because of people like you, sweetheart. Perhaps I think too rationally, but the two things people grab when fleeing from disaster are their pets and their family photographs. She leaves both behind, more focused on that camera rolling on her and her own sweet bum. She barely acknowledges the dog, who is sadly so happy to see his betrayers, and kisses the photographs she left behind that managed to survive, but weren't good enough to take with her. There is no redemption here. There is no love, there is only a want for money and personal gain. Just a bad person who demands that FEMA takes care of her while she can't look out for her own. Skip this waste of film unless you are in the mood to get really, really mad at how disgusting human beings can be, especially in the wake of a tragedy.

RE 1st World 3rd World

[rstepp-2 · 1/10 · 6 September 2009]

Part of the problem was that people seemed to think FEMA was supposed to be activated before the local response. They weren't. They are activated once local government has tried and discovered that their resources are insufficient to the task. THEN FEMA gets called in.

Strange how Florida regularly gets pounded by Hurricanes but doesn't suffer the same consequences. Perhaps the real culprit should be examined: Louisiana's state government is among the most corrupt of all states. Florida's state government isn't.

Example: funds for maintaining the flood defenses in Louisiana were already available, that is, until the local government spent that money on other projects.

Hmmmmm....

I hate the government but please save us and support us

[shelinalawson · 1/10 · 17 June 2012]

This documentary made me so furious. Impossible to feel sympathy for these people. They hate the government but want to government to save them and pay for their children and their ability to pass out on the front porch. You can't have it both ways. At one point a resident "says the government needs to build a new school for the kids", where does this person think the money for schools come from? Taxpayers, yes people who contribute and have jobs. If you contribute nothing and are just a drain, why should anyone risk their life to save you? The disabled and elderly have my deepest sympathy. Able-bodied people who choose to breed and expect a free ride from the "horrible government" have zero sympathy from me. If you are a tax payer and are on the fence about welfare reform watch this documentary and you will change your mind. How many rappers pay taxes? At least the dog survived a dog isn't expected to contribute to the world around them.