Lake of Fire

Filmmaker Tony Kaye (American History X) tackles the hot-button topic of abortion in this engrossing and disturbing documentary. He adds fuel to the fire with his depiction of both sides’ activist activities, so the film’s most welcome interludes are the lower-key, reasoned statements of psychologists, academics such as Noam Chomsky, journalists (including Nat Hentoff, who is pro-life) and the women who have gone through the process—from a case-study patient to Norma McCorvey, the former “Jane Roe” (of Roe v. Wade) who is now an ardent supporter of the militant Operation Rescue organization.

Shelf Talk: Kaye attempts to balance his depiction of both sides in the struggle, so any viewer with a firm opinion on the issue is bound to respond viscerally to the film. Some of the imagery is profoundly disturbing (from aborted fetuses to photos of murdered abortion doctors), which, naturally enough, should give this politically charged film a long shelf life in the documentary section.