‘When Lambs Become Lions’ Film Review: Elephant Poaching Gets Even-Handed Treatment in Provocative Documentary
While the film doesn’t excuse poachers, it does illustrate how poverty drives them to break the law and kill wild animals
Michael Nordine | November 22, 2019 @ 7:00 AM
Last Updated: November 22, 2019 @ 1:08 PM
Oscilloscope
When it comes to sympathetic documentary subjects, elephant poachers rank somewhere between Steve Bannon and those responsible for the Indonesian genocide. To hear one of those poachers tell it in “When Lambs Become Lions,” however, it’s the rangers attempting to stymie their efforts who are “not human” because of the lethal action they take when catching would-be hunters on protected lands.
Director Jon Kasbe allows both sides to speak their piece in his non-fiction film (shot over the course of three years in Kenya), which takes its name from one of that country’s proverbs: “An empty stomach will turn many lambs into lions.”
Suffice to say that this documentary lives up to that adage. The first thing to know about the movie is that it does not feature any direct footage of elephants being harmed or killed, though two scenes come close. That’s a mercy as well as a relief, though some purists may wonder whether it’s better to spare one’s audience or confront them with the grim reality; it works here, though, if only because Kasbe is less concerned with the act of poaching itself than he is with the people on both sides of it. (For the opposite approach, look no further than Ulrich Seidl’s endlessly upsetting “Safari.”)
Unfolding over a scant 79 minutes, “When Lambs Become Lions” grapples with thorny material without overstaying its welcome. The interviewees, who are referred to only by their first names (and, in the case of one poacher, simply “X”), speak candidly about their illegal way of life. Unapologetically, too: Like many forced into extreme positions by circumstance, they care less about questions of morality than they do about feeding themselves and their loved ones.
The film begins with the smoke of a raging, strangely beautiful fire whose source isn’t revealed until an hour later; when that moment comes, it feels like a gut punch. For all its talking, “When Lambs Become Lions” is at its best when the scenery speaks for itself.
Kasbe presents the poachers’ case — in short, extreme poverty — without judgement, ditto that of the rangers. They don’t fare much better financially, at one point being told that their two-month delay in being paid will continue and anyone who doesn’t like it can be replaced. It’s here that we see how thin the line between the two groups really can be, especially since two of the film’s subjects (one a poacher, the other a ranger) are literal cousins.
Like matadors getting gored by bulls, poachers who get caught or killed while tracking their prey often unleash a wave of schadenfreude from anyone who hears of their fate. “When Lambs Become Lions” complicates that by putting a human face on it; the sight of unsuccessful hunters being captured doesn’t bring much righteous indignation here, instead producing a mix of pity and contempt at a situation that’s dispiriting from top to bottom.
That fate is still unlikely to elicit much sympathy from most viewers, making it difficult to fault Kasbe for failing to get us us to truly identify with these men. Elephants are endangered, killing them is wrong, and the luxury items their ivory tusks are used for are depressingly inessential.
It’s unlikely that any documentary could make us feel half as bad for the poachers as we do for their prey, which might not even be Kasbe’s aim. He succeeds in bringing shades of grey to a situation usually thought of in black-and-white terms — not enough to change many minds, perhaps, but at least enough to open some.
12 Documentaries to Check Out This Fall, Including Films by Bruce Springsteen and Agnès Varda (Photos)
This fall has documentary releases about rock stars, athletes and even one posthumous release from an auteur: Oscar winner Agnès Varda. Here are 10 with impending releases you need to check out.
Warner Bros./HBO/Janus Films/Magnolia Pictures
"Untouchable" - Streaming Sept. 2 (Hulu)
The Hulu documentary "Untouchable" opens some still fresh wounds about the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement. Ursula Macfarlane's documentary premiered at Sundance and it features some harrowing interviews with accusers such as Rosanna Arquette, Hope d'Amore, Paz de la Huerta, Erika Rosenbaum and others.
Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Barbara Alper/Getty Images
"Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice" - Sept. 6 (Greenwich Entertainment & 1091)
Oscar winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman direct this film about the career of Linda Ronstadt that includes archival footage that spans 50 years. It charts the early days of her career in the 1960s through becoming the highest paid female rock and roll performer in the '70s, all culminating in her retirement in 2011 due to her battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Henry Diltz/CNN Films
"Blink of an Eye" - Sept. 6 (1091)
History isn't often focused on the losers, but "Blink of an Eye" looks at the career of Michael Waltrip, a NASCAR race car driver who held a record losing streak across 462 races. Despite his struggles, he was invited to be a part of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s racing team and soon earned his first checkered flag. Tragically, that race was the 2001 Daytona 500, the race in which Earnhardt Sr. was killed in a crash on the race's final lap. "Blink of an Eye" examines Waltrip's relationship with the Earnhardt family, and the documentary from director Paul Taublieb will also be adapted into a narrative feature film.
1091 Media
"Liam Gallagher: As It Was" - Sept. 13 (Screen Media)
With Oasis, Liam Gallagher was the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands in the world. But the film "Liam Gallagher: As It Was" looks at how Gallagher had to reset his career and find his voice after splitting from the band as part of his fractured relationship with his brother Noel. (In fact, Noel refused to allow Liam to use any Oasis songs in this documentary, which coincides with the release of Gallagher's second solo album, "Why Me? Why Not.") Directors Gavin Fitzgerald and Charlie Lightening capture the frank and frequently foul-mouthed Gallagher behind the scenes and at home with his mother grousing about Noel.
Getty Images
"Diego Maradona" - Sept. 20 in theaters; October on HBO (HBO)
Asif Kapadia's gift as a filmmaker is weaving a narrative entirely through archival footage. Just as with "Senna" and "Amy," Kapadia combs through over 500 hours of the legendary Argentinian soccer star's personal archive. The film starts with his arrival in Europe in July 1984 and follows how he was treated as though he were a God in the subsequent years, both on and off the field. But it also examines how that extreme level of fame led to darker days and strained relationships.
Alfredo Capozzi
"Where's My Roy Cohn?" - Sept. 20 (Sony Pictures Classics)
Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer told TheWrap at Sundance that he chose to make his film about the political mastermind Roy Cohn -- best known as Sen. Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the hearings about Communists in government -- the day Donald Trump was elected. His ruthless influence has since been felt far and wide, not just on politics but on the culture at large, serving as a mentor for Roger Stone, Ronald Reagan and Trump alike. The film takes a blunt approach in describing just how deeply this one man has shaped American democracy and society.
Altimeter Films/Sundance Film Festival
"Midnight Traveler" - Sept. 18 (Oscilloscope)
Afghan filmmaker Hassan Fazili got intimate access to the story of a family fleeing their home after being targeted by the Taliban. That's because it was his own family who was on the run. Fazili shot his film "Midnight Traveler" across several years on three iPhones, capturing daring moments as they crossed borders and more intimate home movie moments of his family as refugees. The doc won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for No Borders at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Oscilloscope Pictures
"Western Stars" - October (Warner Bros.)
Bruce Springsteen knew he wasn't going to tour promoting his latest album "Western Stars," so he and collaborator Thom Zimny co-directed a documentary that features live performances of all 13 of the album's tracks. Springsteen parked under a 100-year-old barn to perform the more acoustic, melancholy sounds of "Western Stars," and the film is laced with The Boss's narration and archival footage as he reflects on his past.
Courtesy of TIFF/Warner Bros.
"The Cave" - Mid-October (Nat Geo)
Not to be confused with the narrative feature about the Thai soccer team rescue mission, "The Cave" is the latest film from "Last Man in Aleppo" director Feras Fayyad as he gets inside a secret, hidden, underground hospital in Syria. The hospital is led by a team of female medical professionals and civilians and provides under the radar care for the besieged refugees and locals in the region. Fayyad specifically profiles the work of Dr. Amani, a 30-year-old pediatrician who works tirelessly to restore health and hope to Syrian youth.
Nat Geo
"The Kingmaker" - Late October (Greenwich Entertainment/Showtime)
Lauren Greenfield has made a name for herself directing documentary profiles on those who live opulently and lavishly, specifically with her films "The Queen of Versailles" and "Generation Wealth." But her latest combines that lavish lifestyle with politics, obtaining unprecedented access to the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. "The Kingmaker" explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime and chronicles Imelda's present-day push to help her son, Bongbong, win the vice presidency. Greenfield's film takes on the form of a "dark fairy tale" as Marcos tries to rewrite her family's corrupt history and prove she's a matriarch who deeply loves her country.
Greenwich Entertainment/Showtime
"Scandalous" - Nov. 15 (Magnolia/CNN Films)
Mark Landsman's "Scandalous" looks at the life of Generoso Pope Jr., the media magnate who turned the National Enquirer from a simple racing and sporting magazine to a household name for gossip and one that frequently finds itself at the center of political scandal. The film's history dates back to the 1950s but includes interviews with former staffers and other media experts who examine how the paper has thrived on its diet of scandal, gossip, medical oddities, conspiracy theories and paparazzi photos.
Magnolia Pictures
"Varda by Agnès" - Nov. 22 (Janus Films)
The final film of the late French auteur Agnès Varda is a playful and profound retrospective on her career as examined by Varda herself. She reflects in a autobiography of sorts on filmmaking, feminism, aging and even on lighter topics like cats, colors, beaches and heart-shaped potatoes. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, shortly before her death in March at age 90.
Janus Films
1 of 13
Films about Harvey Weinstein, Liam Gallagher, Linda Ronstadt and Diego Maradona also hitting theaters and streaming
This fall has documentary releases about rock stars, athletes and even one posthumous release from an auteur: Oscar winner Agnès Varda. Here are 10 with impending releases you need to check out.
Warner Bros./HBO/Janus Films/Magnolia Pictures
Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Barbara Alper/Getty Images
