Oct 19

Oct 19 'White Noise' film review: Unsettling, intimate look at white nationalism in the age of new media

The notion that hate groups only exist on the extreme fringes is a mainstream misconception the provocative documentary 'White Noise' (available on demand starting Oct. 21) completely upends. Instead, it reveals how far-right provocateurs have pushed identity politics into the zeitgeist.

In short: This intimate and unflinching documentary tracks the rise of nationalism by focusing on the lives of three leading far-right influencers: conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich, anti-immigration YouTube star Lauren Southern and white supremacist Richard Spencer.

A lesser version of this film would have just been a straightforward, if serviceable, documentary composed of news footage and talking heads deconstructing supremacism. Filmmaker Daniel Lombroso's directorial debut, however, strives to be more than just a primer or white nationalist 101 crash course - this documentary starkly examines the macro by focusing on the micro. The film understands the white nationalist movement is comprised of people - and focusing on three controversial, but very specific, far-right political activists offers an extraordinary insight not only into tenets of 21st century white supremacy, but how the ideology is shaped by its extreme personalities. And it’s the intimate access Lombroso has with Cernovich, Southern or Spencer that imbues ‘White Noise’ with a candid look behind the curtain and theatrics of their activism. Fringe extremism is ripe documentary material, but this film has a unique, behind-the-scenes advantage that goes beyond the bombastic tweets of these three notorious nationalists. Lombroso embedded himself with these alt-right leaders for years - an effort that yields all sorts of unsurprising hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance of Cernovich, Southern or Spencer, but also their struggle to reconcile their public rallying cries with their personal lives.

The film accentuates the differences in their tactics, from Cernovich's "memeing" news into existence to Southern's polished (if toxic) YouTube content. These different approaches boil over into infighting between personalities, with these ideologically-aligned orators at odds with the ‘how’ of delivering their anti-immigrant and anti-diversity messaging. Frankly, it's odd to hear a white nationalist describe another nationalist's tweets and sentiments as "awful."

'White Noise' is very restrained in its use of archival news footage, instead opting to allow the trio of featured subjects to tell their story in their own words. In many ways, the changes in their individual lives reflect how the white nationalism movement has rapidly evolved in the past few years. The film unmasks Cernovich, Southern or Spencer as extreme personalities who, if stripped of their sociopolitical viewpoints, are media-savvy performers deftly repackaging Third Reich propaganda in the age of Twitter, YouTube and crowdsourcing.

The most horrifying aspect of 'White Noise' isn't necessarily the cavalierly racist rhetoric the three subjects freely and casually express. Historically, these views have always existed and (to some degree) probably always will exist. The true horror is the reach of these social media influencers - where far-right hate has solid metrics indicating growth and support. This is best exemplified by their anti-feminist and pro-ethnostate videos and posts, where subscribers and views are measured in the hundreds of thousands. It's too easy to dismiss the far right as socially irrelevant or “just a bunch of Twitter and YouTube trolls,” but it is undeniably and fundamentally disturbing to watch conservative mainstream voices parrot Cernovich, Southern or Spencer's talking points. While the main subjects struggle with their own tumultuous challenges of being extremist figureheads, 'White Noise' affirms that whatever internal conflict they deal with outside of the public eye, their message is resonating, white nationalism is succeeding and the movement is much larger than just these three self-described “satirists” and trolls.

Final verdict: To understand the far-right movement requires an understanding of the leaders inspiring their followers to throw up a Nazi salute and scream 'Sieg Heil!' With white supremacist terrorism on the rise, 'White Noise' is a vital insight into the vitriolic heart of far-right nationalism.