This Is the Movie You Need After the Letdown of ‘Bama Rush’

By now, you’ve probably heard of the movie Bama Rush, which explores the Greek life at The University of Alabama. It’s bad—like, laughably so, because the film’s director made it about herself. A documentary reportedly all about the horrors of the school and Greek life gave us nothing, but the movie The Line gave us everything that Bama Rush thought it could and more.

Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, the Ethan Berger film is one that highlights a fraternity during their freshman rush. When Tom (Alex Wolff) and Mitch (Bo Mitchell) are welcoming the new recruits along with their leader Todd (Lewis Pullman), it’s clear just how deep into the frat mentality these young men are willing to fall, all because of what a group of frat bros tells them to do. And what’s more manly than just bending to the whims of someone else because you want to be in a frat house, right?

It’s hard to watch at times, given the 2014 willingness to throw around homophobia as a joke among your “manly” friends, and there are things that are so clearly there for the shock value (to arguably make a point on Greek culture), but it is a movie that gives a look into just how rough the Greek society of college life can really be.

Where Bama Rush thought it was unveiling the truth about Greek life, The Line explores how horrific the men of these fraternities can be. Through their racism, sexism, and homophobia, they’re put into a position of power that does, ultimately, lead to their own demise, all at the hands of humiliating each other and thinking that they’re better than one another, which boils down to the biggest issue in Greek life as a whole.

It’s about power

Bama Rush failed to make the commentary it needed. That commentary is that Greek life is all about who is in charge. You “rush” in hopes of one day being the one decides who is and is not worthy of your time and title. It’s not about how good someone is or who really deserves it. Often, it’s about your daddy and his money. What is great about The Line is that we explore all of this while still being in the heart of the fraternity and seeing just how deeply rooted these issues are.

Again, it all boils down to young men and women being in charge of others and lording that power over them. They could be nice, but the vast majority of them use the strength and status they have to their advantage to torment those they see as beneath them, and that is when the true ugliness of Greek life shines.

It’s not a slap against Greek life as a whole, but it does highlight the systemic problem that can and often does exist within the frats and sororities that take over college life. Maybe exploring the Machine and the racism, sexism, and horrors of what is going on in a documentary like Bama Rush was always better suited towards being vague, since they lost most their subjects in the process, but if you want a look into how dark Greek life can be, I suggest the movie The Line first and foremost.

(featured image: Max)