Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004)

87% of critics liked it
(46 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(62 ratings)

In 1974, young Patty Hearst became a media icon after she was kidnapped from her apartment by a group calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). At the time, Patty was an impressionable college student who happened to be the granddaughter of the infamous William Randolph Hearst. The SLA's… More In 1974, young Patty Hearst became a media icon after she was kidnapped from her apartment by a group calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). At the time, Patty was an impressionable college student who happened to be the granddaughter of the infamous William Randolph Hearst. The SLA's demands on Hearst's family were unique; hoping to spark a class war in America, they instructed the Hearsts to make a multimillion dollar donation of food to the poor. But the story firmly imprinted itself in the history books when, two months after the initial abduction, Patty appeared to have joined forces with the SLA, and was caught on camera wielding a gun as the team robbed a bank. This documentary on Hearst's story offers some fascinating insights on what happened to her during her time with the SLA. Some startling footage has been unearthed, and some former members of the SLA come forward to give their accounts of the story. Hearst has subsequently enjoyed a post-kidnapping career as an actress, and has appeared in a number of films by the infamous "Pope of Trash" John Waters, whose 2000 film CECIL B. DEMENTED owes a sizable debt to Hearst's kidnapping tale.

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Robert Stone
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Nov 26, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Sep 27, 2005
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A mostly compelling and exceedingly fair-minded look back at the case.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Fine as far as it goes -- a worthy lesson in counter-culture history and the rise of media hysteria.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
To misquote Buffalo Springfield, something was happening here; what it was ain't exactly clear.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
As an indicting work of journalism, it's very entertaining.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
An engaging film, but it's a documentary and nothing more.
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post
A case study in cultural analysis that aims at too much and achieves too little.
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Urban terrorism inspired by Robin Hood.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Anyone understandably bothered by the lapsed historical significance of the documentary will appreciate how Stone picks up the flack on his commentary track.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
A gripping, thought-provoking film that works as both a thriller and a social document.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
British director Robert Stone takes a dispassionate look at this circus, and his retelling of events makes the situation more complicated than I remembered.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
The footage is astonishing, revealing the events of 30 years ago and some scary truths about where the world is today.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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