EversinceRoev.Wade,theUnitedStateshasbeendeeplydividedontheissueofabortion.Inthatlandmarkcase,anunmarriedpregnantwomanwasrefusedanabortioninTexasand,withtheensuingjudicialchallenge,wonAmericanwomentherighttosafe,legalabortions.Eversince,proponentsandopponentshavelineduponeithersideoftheissue,launchingverbalabuse-andworse-ateachother.Asthereligiousrighthasincreasedinsizeandpowerinthepastdecade,theissuehasbecomeevenmoredivisive-andviolent.FilmmakerTonyKaye,bestknownfor"AmericanHistoryX,"hasbeenworkingon"LakeofFire"forthepastfifteenyearsandhasmadeafilmthatisunquestionablythedefinitiveworkonthesubjectofabortion.Shotinluminousblackandwhite,whichisinfactanendlesspaletteofgrays,thefilmhastheperfectestheticforasubjectwheretherecanbenoabsolutes,no’right’or’wrong.’Hegivesequaltimetobothsides,coveringargumentsfromeitherextremesofthespectrum,aswellasthoseatthecenter,whoacknowledgethat,intheend,everyoneis’right’-or’wrong.’Withgraphicimagesofterminationproceduresandtheiraftermath,Kayeendeavorstoshowabortion’sphysicalandpsychologicalreality-tomakeclearwhatexactlyisatstake."LakeofFire"-thefilm’stitlecomesfromoneperson’sdescriptionofwhatawaitsabortionistsinhell-isabravefilm,evenamonumentalone.Andwhateveryoubelievenow,youarecertaintothinkdifferentlyafterseeingit.
