Bama Rush is a documentary that follows four young women over the course of a year as they prepare to rush at University of Alabama. Through taking head interviews with the subjects(as well as active Sorority members and a few experts), archival footage, and fly-on-the-wall sequences following the women along their process a story of image, acceptance, and a desire for community unfolds.
Although seemingly sensational, the ads are kind of akin to Netflix's Cheer, the documentary is much more sedate and thoughtful. This is perhaps partially a result of the director Rachel Fleit being iced out by the University and Greek system during actual rush but even so it is clear she has issues she wants to explore(sexual assault, body image, class, race) but this is by no means a hit piece. All four subjects speak honestly and simply about their experiences and what they are looking for out of the Sorority system. As the movie goes along that changes and morphs and we follow these four young women over this formative year(for two their senior year of high school into their freshman year of college, for the other two freshman at UA into their sophomore year).
The history of the Greek system, some of the questionable history at UA in particular is explored but this is more about these four women- their thoughts, desires, struggles, and trajectory- then it is about Sororities or UA. And it's really compelling. Perhaps the indictments won't be explicit enough for some and the fact that their is a fair amount of questioning and implicit criticism at all will be too much for others but overall it is a compelling, thoughtful, exploration about young women trying to find themselves and community.
Understated, insightful, a pleasant surprise.
Currently streaming on Max.
See It.
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