In today’s political climate, with the rise of the Me Too movement, the release of the Netflix original documentary “Seeing Allred” could not have been more relevant.
Gloria Allred, a civil rights attorney who made a name for herself by taking on many high-profile cases on the protection of women’s rights, has often been demonized in the public eye.
Ego-Driven. Money-hungry. Attention-Seeking. These words, among others, have been used to characterize Allred as a manipulative liar seeking to feed her own agenda. “Seeing Allred” provides an intimate look into Allred’s life and motives, and works to disprove those criticisms while simultaneously shedding light onto the women’s rights movement of the 21st century.
“Seeing Allred” details this woman’s progression into social activism, by providing glimpses into Allred’s childhood, marriages, sexual abuse and her experience with abortion which all shaped her into the woman she is today. Her fire and passion for protecting the abused is undeniable and proven throughout her career.
“I live in a war zone every day. There is a war on women,” Allred said. “It’s real, it can be very ugly. Women depend on me to be strong, to be fearless, to assertively protect their rights.”
The lens of this documentary is not focused solely on Allred, but also on highlighting victims of abuse and the struggles women have endured.
On many occasions, “Seeing Allred” includes clips of heart-wrenching testimonies from two of Allred’s more recent public cases with Bill Cosby and Donald Trump.
For a woman characterized as self-centered and ego-driven, her documentary is primarily focused on women fighting abuse rather than detailing every minute of her life.
When a woman expresses her opinion and fights back against social norms in a loud and aggressive way, people seem to be shocked and attempt to ostracize her from society. However, when a man conducts himself in a similar manner, he is often seen as powerful, determined and worthy of everyone’s respect.
Allred is fully aware of how the many people view her, but she chooses to continue on her path as a fierce civil rights attorney, refusing to take no for an answer. Throughout the documentary, she says it does not matter how people see her, so long as she is able to make a difference and change how people see the world.  
“People say she’s loud, she’s got an ego. She must just love the camera. I just say ‘haven’t you met any men like that?’” said Laurie Levenson, professor of law at Loyola Law School.
While the documentary does address many aspects of Allred’s life and career, the film fails to adequately address major controversies surrounding Allred, including the end of her second marriage and how her own daughter has defended Harvey Weinstein during the midst of the sexual assault allegations against him in 2017.
Yes, Allred has made her name by publicizing the abuse of women. Yes, this is how she makes her living. However, there is nothing wrong with either of these things. Allred has been a major figure in the fight against the sexual and social abuse of women. She has refused to let tragedies die down and forces the world to confront the atrocities often used as a tool for shaming women or pushed under the rug.
To watch “Seeing Allred” is to take a step into the shoes of victimized women and their struggles for equality on every front. This documentary carries the power and voice of Allred herself. “Seeing Allred” inspires women from all backgrounds to refuse accepting abuse, so one day, women no longer have to say #metoo. As Allred says, “the fight has just begun,” and women must be ready more than ever for the battles yet to come.