In Smog and Thunder

Synopsis

California was teetering on the edge of doom. Animosity between Los Angeles and San Francisco had grown out of control. War was looming in the hearts of men and women from Petaluma to Pacoima. Then, in early May, General Juan Gomez de los Angeles led his Southern troops in an offensive against the Bay Area. Once the Battle of San Francisco began there was no turning back ...

In Smog and Thunder is a mockumentary about a civil war between Northern and Southern California. The Great War of the Californias was the ultimate calamity in a state strewn with calamities, some of which have repercussions that will be felt for decades to come. Based on the paintings of Sandow Birk, this film explores the history and the stories behind California's tragic conflict. The paintings and propaganda posters convey the intense hatred that had built up between the two great California cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco. When the powder keg ignited, the state was quickly consumed by this horrible war.

In Smog and Thunder tells its story through the humble words of the soldiers and citizens who lived through it: infantry privates, civilian yuppies, traffic reporters, colonels, generals, and gardeners. This grand procession makes you wish there were more wars.

Detailed Summary
(Blow by Blow)

The Historian

The film presents itself as a documentary on a recent war between the two great California cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, telling the story through the use of somber narration, melancholy music, and myriad still images based on maps, paintings, drawings and propaganda posters. It includes live interviews with surviving combatants and historians, and voice over testimonies by citizens, family members, and soldiers' letters home. Narrator: "A bitter, sad, and tragic affair, the Great War of the Californias was a result of many events, actions, and personalities, all rolled into the giant burrito of history."

CHAPTER ONE: THE POWDER KEG IGNITES

Various personalities are introduced who will lead the principal armies. The governments of both cities negotiate alliances with other cities and gear up propaganda machines. An historian sits at his desk discussing the many causes of the war itself, from water disputes to cultural differences between Northern and Southern California to immigration rights, racial issues, etc.

CHAPTER TWO: THE BATTLE OF SAN FRANCISCO

Bombardment of Fort Point

The Los Angeles Army, under several generals, marches up the state and invades San Francisco with a surprise attack from both the sea and land. San Franciscan troops retreat across the city and defend various key positions, most of which are significant landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown. A homeless veteran is interviewed about his experiences in the attack. The battle rages through the streets, pitting stereotypes of each city against each other, from surfers to lesbians to Hispanic maids. Finally, the Los Angeles Army retreats, leaving a devastated San Francisco smoldering in its wake.

CHAPTER THREE: SAN FRANCISCO FIGHTS BACK

Wounded morally as well as physically, San Francisco rebuilds. It ups military spending, re-commissions a large navy, and sets sail southward for Los Angeles. Letters from sailors tell of conditions on the ships at sea and the pain of being away. Civilians tell of the hard times and depravities at home. The San Francisco Navy surprises the Los Angeles Navy at sea and a battle ensues, in which Los Angeles suffers great losses. The San Francisco Army attacks Los Angeles in force ... Fighting for key landmarks is intense, especially at the Getty Museum of Art which sits overlooking a freeway pass from the Valley. The San Fernando Valley, recently seceded from Los Angeles, is laid to waste.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE TIDE TURNS

Air Supremacy

The Southland smog and the confusing freeway system take a toll on the San Francisco troops. They gradually become disorganized. There are many small scenes about Southern California's lifestyles and industries, and its reaction to war in its streets. Fierce battles rage through various parts of the city as traffic reports describe the inconveniences of war related traffic problems. Los Angeles troops manage to hold the Getty position but fighting across the city rages and all seems lost. Soldiers' testimonies are heard about the heat of the battle and seeing comrades fall beside them. As all seems lost for Los Angeles, a surge of reinforcements comes charging in from Tijuana, consisting of an army responding to a call for help from their Mexican friends in Los Angeles The tide is turned and the North retreats as shouts of joy go up along the lines.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SEASON IS CANCELED

As the war ends, artists respond by painting several metaphorical paintings. The new California legislature votes to abolish the border with Mexico in gratitude to its assistance. Washington D.C. is disgusted that the war has ended with California intact, and eventually the state becomes a nation, united once again, and governed from Sacramento. We hear melancholy testimonials from surviving generals who feel that no one has won such a devastating war. In a final cameo, a mock-clip from the PBS television series "California's Gold" hosted by Huell Howser is played as Howser interviews a historian as they stand before a bronze statue commemorating the peace accords. Theme music swells into the end credits and the bombastically overdone song "One California" plays over credits.