DVD Corner

Born In Flames Criterion Blu-ray Review

“Born In Flames” is an ahead of its time indie film.  

Written by Ed Bowes and Lizzie Borden, 1983’s “Born In Flames” is an indie sci-fi film. The story takes place in NYC 10 years after the world liberation/social democracy revolution. Not everyone is happy about the current state of the world though, including 2 pirate radio groups (Honey of Phoenix Radio and Isabel of Radio Ragazza) and the Women’s Army (composed of founder/activist Adelaide Norris, Hilary Hurst, Zella, and more). The U.S. is experiencing unrest as well with unemployment on the rise and job opportunities running scarce. Honey and Isabel are recruited by the Women’s army but initially refuse. Everything changes when Adelaide Norris is arrested and suspiciously dies in police custody. This causes the groups to act out and expose the real truth. 

Director Lizzie Borden is known for bold feminist indie films and “Born In Flames” is no exception. Despite being 42 years old now, the film feels as relevant as ever as this sci-fi docufiction story explores racism, sexism, the power of music, journalism, politics, equal employment, toxic masculinity, the haves and have nots, Government control and propaganda, violence against women, demonstrations and riots, and Government cover ups. Really, there’s enough ideas here for 10 movies, but Borden manages to tackle all of these subjects  in an 80 minute runtime. It’s wild just how topical this movie is all of these years later. To say it’s prescient is an understatement. 

“Born In Flames” is admittedly rough around the edges, but that’s also part of the DIY boundary pushing cinematic work’s charm. Borden really thrives on unique edits, documentary style storytelling, and unusual narrative structures. It’s hard to even describe how the story unfolds, but it’s sort of an ensemble piece mixed with TV broadcasts and archival footage. It’s a bit chaotic but it works. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? The 2K digital restoration has its fair share of issues. It’s a flawed print with scratches, faded colors, and so forth. Still, there’s no denying that the image quality is much improved.

Audio Track: Uncompressed Mono. How does it sound? It’s a bit on the soft side, but adequate. 

Extras:
* A booklet featuring credits, an essay by writer/film programmer Yasmina Price, and an essay on “Regrouping” by author So Mayer.
* A new 2025 commentary by Lizzie Borden, crew members DeeDee Halleck and Chris Hegedus and cast members Adele Bertei, Hillary Hurst, Sheila McLaughlin, Pat Murphy, Marty Pottenger and Jeanne Satterfield.
* A 12 ½ minute 2020 interview with director Lizzie Borden about her life and career and making “Born In Flames.”
* The biggest extra here is Lizzie Borden’s first feature length film, the 1976 documentary “Regrouping” about an NYC feminist art group. A must see for Borden fans.

September 16, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 80's Film, Born In Flames Criterion Blu-ray Review, Criterion Collection, Indie Film, Lizzie Borden