1968: The Global Revolutions

“Underground,” a film directed by noted documentarian Emile de Antonio, told the story of the Weathermen, a group of 1960s-era civil rights and antiwar activists who became disenchanted with the student movement and turned to the tactic of violence against symbols and institutions of American power. To undertake this campaign the members went underground, assuming false identities and operating beyond the reach of law enforcement. The film was produced while its subjects remained fugitives from justice. Since the Weathermen were wanted by the FBI, their faces were never shown in the film. Instead, they were presented from the back, in silhouette, or reflected in a mirror. Before the movie could be released, the filmmakers were subpoenaed by the FBI, demanding all of the footage and other records from the project. This turned the obscure film into a cause célèbre in Hollywood, with famous actors and directors signing a statement of support for de Antonio’s First Amendment rights.