Skuawk.com reviewed Bomb It at Tribeca. Here’s what they had to say:
Director Jon Reiss’s brisk, invigorating documentary ‘Bomb It’, eligible for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, opens its eyes wide to the broad spectrum of graffiti painters from across the globe. This simple act of rebel art expands before our eyes to reveal whole worlds of culture and counterculture. Though it is typically dismissed as the petty vandalism of delinquents, Reiss sees graffiti as something more: It’s not a problem in and of itself, but symptomatic of problems and the product of individuals with valuable ideas about disenfranchisement, gentrification, and consumerism. The film is as thoughtful as its subjects and shows us society in a way that forces us to alter our perceptions of it….
The artists rebel to reclaim public space. A London bomber expresses concerns about surveillance cameras that have begun to overwhelm the city. Public spaces are for public use and public expression, he argues. Back in New York, a bomber argues that any space paid for by tax dollars (such as roads and subways) should be fair game. This reasoning is surprisingly persuasive when you consider the argument that building owners and real estate developers have free reign over the messages and symbols they put on their exteriors.
When looked at from this perspective, what has Donald Trump done other than pay for the right to tag his name all over the country? Countless corporations also pay through the nose to spread their tags, if the Kodak Theater, Staples Center, and Pepsi Arena are any indication….
The most provocative idea suggested by the film is inherent in the title. Self-described “bombers” are so named because they believe they are part of a culture war that has been taken up by soldiers around the world. It is not vandalism — it is civil resistance. One eloquent bomber describes graffiti art as “typographic terrorism,” a phrase with powerful implications. Are bombers terrorists or freedom fighters? And is there a difference between the two other than which side you’re on?….
You can read the full review here
