Bring Your Own Brigade

Overall my thoughts on the film itself were highly interesting and very thought-provoking. Some of my favorite moments from the film were the aspect that the film itself was following a thread along the lines of unraveling the causes of the forest fire but as it got deeper the entire sweater became unraveled. Some of the most impactful moments during the film were the moments of intense action that the characters were going through but it was the moments after the fact that truly held the most meaning. One example of this is during the civic engagement of the community during the voter session on reform in the area during the aftermath of the fire. Throughout the film, the audience had been following along with this community whose homes and lives had been completely changed by the forest fires. In this impactful scene, the community is shown making a decision for change based on fire safety. As the community voted on implementing aspects of their home that would benefit them and save them from future fires, most of them were shot down. One that stuck out the most was the five feet of brush from the area of the house which makes them susceptible to forest fires. This safety feature costs nothing to the homeowner and is an extra precaution that they can take that will help them in the forest fire. This moment was so important because it showed that despite the knowledge that this thing would benefit them, they rejected this proposal.

 I think that the editing and cinematography of this film worked really well to tell the story. The moments to show the fire were highly impactful as the slow-motion video showed houses going up in flames and embers being blown across streets. Those beautifully composed shots, also highlighted the power and danger to the audience while still holding the attention in such a moving way. Continuing, the cinematography was a very emotionally and visually powerful tool that Walker used in a great way. Some examples of this were the style used when showing the people who returned to their homes after the fire and the people themselves who were fighting the fire. On this note, I thought that the editing of the film was very interesting as well. The combination of the found footage really aided the narrative in the sense that it showed the realness and effects of what was happening coupled with the footage of people going back and looking at the destruction of their homes.