WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD: MOTHERS OF THE REVOLUTION

1981, several Welsh women decide that having cruise missiles in place, because of the ongoing Cold War with Russia, on the RAF Greenham base (Berkshire, England), increases the potential for nuclear war. Spearheaded by participants such as Rebecca Johnson and later the actress Julie Christie, these peacemakers organize a march to Greenham that galvanizes not only other British women but their counterparts in the then Soviet Union and others around the world.

Over time, the movement became known as the Greenham Common Peace Camp. Dedicating several years, making personal sacrifices to further the cause, they never relented. In the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost began to erode the Communist stance supporting nuclear proliferation. However, early on those who protested against the Cold War paid a heavy price for their actions, some of whom share their stories in the movie.

Glenda Jackson narrates Mothers of the Revolution, a documentary that includes archival footage and interviews with the initial protestors and government officials. Having the former MP, political activist, and esteemed actress Glenda Jackson recount the movement's history, describe the women's determined, long-term struggle to change the course of history underscores the gravitas of the content.

Filmmaker Briar March makes her stance known at the opening of the documentary with a mushroom cloud rising into the sky. The audience will be shaken and stirred. March also assumes that some viewers may be unfamiliar with this movement, providing a careful, albeit at times overlong, reconstruction of salient events during the decades of the protest. And those who'd prefer a balanced examination may have some objections to the film.

Nonetheless, the courage these women demonstrated to ensure a safer world cannot be denied. And, Mothers of the Revolution will appeal to any maternal or paternal instinct to protect Mother Earth for future generations.

Available VOD (Video on Demand) October 19th.

Unrated but frightening recollections of imprisonment, harassment and police enforcement as well as startling imagery may be too intense for young viewers.

Earlier reviews not seen on this website (before May 20, 2021) are available on https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/wendy-shreve/movies or my previous blog site, featuringfilm.com

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