Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart

Magnolia Pictures

Liberating us from boredom: Patty Hearst (a.k.a. Tania) in 'Guerrilla'

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More About

• Patty Hearst
• Symbionese Liberation Army
• Russell Little
• Kidnapping
• Crime

Ultimately, though, what the film conveys most effectively--albeit unintentionally, perhaps--is the unspeakable and often forgotten sadness at the heart of America in the late '60s and early '70s. You will not find a gloomier parade of figures than the lost souls populating this film, from the Hearsts to the poor people lined up at the Patty-Hearst-free-food giveaway. (One woman essentially tells a reporter, I don't want to take advantage of that girl's situation, but I've got to feed my kids.) Everyone in the historical footage looks so cool in that early '70s, sideburns-and-a-shag way--even the cops!--and they're all fucking miserable. You can just feel it. That's certainly not as sexy a theme for a film as the shock of violence, the glamour of media hype, and the drama of "revolution." But when the story's done and the movie is over, it's the one that sticks with you.