Tony Kaye and Controversial Issues in Film

Director Tony Kaye is typically associated with his production of American History X. Kaye believes that his “vision” for the film was not fully expressed; therefore he prefers to not be directly credited for his work on American History X. Browsing through a few reviews of Kaye’s earlier films, he becomes associated with directing highly controversial films. Kaye’s interest in controversial issues is also witnessed in his documentary, Lake of Fire. The article I linked to by Frederick Clarkson is a summary of Lake of Fire which discusses how Kaye’s documentary presents the political issues surrounding abortion in the U.S. As typically seen in Kaye’s work, this documentary not only pertains to controversial topics; but also includes the debates over abortion in support of the antiabortion stance. Clarkson’s article also includes excerpts from the “Hollywood Reporter.” Passages from the “Hollywood Reporter” indicate that not only does Kaye present the religious, anti-abortion perspective, but Lake of Fire also describes how domestic terrorism plays a role in this societal issue. Clarkson cites from the “Hollywood Reporter” that Lake of Fire contains graphic images and scenes such as, “photos of abortion practitioners who have been killed by vigilante extremists…” The article emphasizes how Kaye was bold in the fact that he chose to shed light on the issue of abortion from a different perspective and this in turn allows audiences to understand how Kaye's films may at times lead to uproar in society.