Public Enemy Number One is a documentary that aims to shed light on the politics behind the war on drugs from Nixon to today.
Despite the government’s best efforts, the much publicized ‘War on Drugs’ has never really been embraced by the general public, most now, after decades of policy shifts, not really taking it seriously, believing that it’s either a futile effort that has no impact or on the other end of the spectrum, shamefully targeting groups of casual recreational drug users. Truthfully though, how much about the history of this long-standing battle do you know, beyond the catchy slogans and the occasional, dramatic headlines of celebrities and sports stars lost to drug abuse that squeeze their way into an already crowded news market?
With filmmaker Robert Rippberger‘s latest documentary, we dive deep into the complex and often disturbing origins of the laws and movement that have shaped drug policy since the 1960s where then President Nixon and his administration faced an onslaught of opposition about the Vietnam War and the much publicized civil unrest in major cities around the country. It was here where Nixon and his staff agreed they needed a way to distract the voters and take some of the overwhelming glare of negative news coverage and turn it into a spectacle of massive, near oppressive fight against illegal drugs – most specifically marijuana – calling them public enemy number one.
Naturally, what followed is years of battle where young people became both the most fervent users of marijuana and other drugs and the bullseye for whole departments of law enforcement and law makers, who were torn about what to do about it. On one end, by the late 70s and well into the 80s, Hollywood and media entertainment embraced a more playful and rebellious tone, poking fun at the whole thing (from Cheech and Chong to SNL) while the government rode the other end of the seesaw, staunchly creating a more rigorous approach with the pinnacle being Nancy Reagan‘s much-celebrated backing of the ‘Just Say No’ campaign.
Of course, beneath all this were the real effects as black communities especially became far more hard hit when it came to arrests and imprisonment, their opportunities already so limited, drugs seeming to be the only way out. This is where the film truly gets its grip, focusing on the culture of violence and over-criminalization that enlarged police forces of most neighborhoods while aiming their power at widening rules, allowing greater discretion for confiscation and accusation. On screen are a number of important people behind the war on drugs, including previous drug czars, experts, influential activists, and a passionately-spoken Ice-T (who serves as producer along with producer Chris Chiari), tracking the history of the troubling fight to keep drugs off the streets and the rights of private use while prison terms increase and entire generations of minors become victims of gross discrimination.
Public Enemy Number One ends up being a brief (70 minutes) but lazer intense examination of an equally intense issue, one that has ridden a chasm of ups and downs where trying to find balance in the issue seems an endless impasse. The film doesn’t look to hammer a message or sit high upon a singular agenda, though clearly sits on the side of illumination, looking at how all greater powers need something in justifying a kind of oppression, be it alcohol, political beliefs, terror, and more. It’s an eye-opening experience and as any high-quality documentary should, presents a compelling need to better understand more. Highly recommended.