Detroit

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2017)

The summer of 1967 brought not just the sweltering of the summer heat, but also a wave of unrest. One of the largest race riots in United States history came to a fever pitch in Detroit in 1967. Detroit had begun to rebel in response to the racial tension between the city's largely African American population and the white police and their brutal treatment of the citizens of the city. Kathryn Bigelow helms an exploration of one evening in the city at the Algiers Motel which resulted in the deaths of three black men and the savage beating of nine others. The true story took place 50 years ago and one could only hope that would exist as a black mark on our nation's history and a past that we have learned from. Unfortunately, however, civil unrest and racial tensions are at an all-time high. This time, we also have a president who refuses to condemn the hateful actions of the individuals perpetrating such hate. Especially in the wake of the hate riots in Charlottesville over the weekend, it doesn't take much to realize that the united states are not as far removed from the tensions of 50 years ago. Not only are racial tensions at a tipping point in 2017, but so are religious tensions. I feel as though I am watching the world in a pre-WWII state. Islamaphobia is at an all time high, and with white supremacists canvassing the streets carrying flags with swastikas and giving the heil Hitler salute, it's certainly not a comfortable time to be a Jew. This bit of commentary is far off from the film Detroit other than to serve as a sad reminder that we no longer have to wonder what it was like to live in such volatile times because we are still experiencing them.
Detroit opens with a history lesson told with an artistic touch of stop motion animation which covered hundreds of years in the span of minutes, a superb way to introduce the film. Blending actual footage of the time and footage filmed for production, Detroit packs a heavy punch giving audiences a dramatized understanding of what happened, while still providing an actual look at the historical context. Much of the filming is achieved using hand-held cameras which go a long way to add to the disorienting feeling of a time which so much carnage and turmoil took place. The audience is placed in the heart of the narrative giving the feeling of watching the documentary which is completely necessary in order to understand the struggle as much as possible.The true strength of this film lies in its narrative structure. Clear moods are established in each act of the film. The first act is made up of a largely episodic narrative in which we see many struggles across the city without one protagonist being clearly identified. This structure allows for both the idea of togetherness and isolation. You see how different people are affected by the same racial unrest which goes to show that every citizen was vulnerable and each person of color a target. You also see just how isolated the city is from the rest of the world. When the National Guard is called in and you see even federal agents stepping aside to let them deal with their "state issue" one can truly see just how helpless the citizens were. The frenetic camera movement and drastic angles lend to the desperation in the atmosphere at the time. A minor detail is the excellent attention paid to period detail throughout the film. A film as strong and important as Detroit is certainly going to be remembered for other aspects than this, but it does excel in period design. My only complaint is that the film is a bit heavy-handed in some of its symbolism, I much prefer the subtle touch, and trusting the audience, but this is a small quibble in relation to the film. My only other complaint is that the film was a bit long and could have benefited from more aggressive editing, some nightmares are best- shown bits at a time in order to drive home the impact, and the systematic killing that took place in this film is one such nightmare. Audiences need to know that this happened, and I'm not suggesting to spare us from the truth, but some cutting could have better painted the picture. Detroit is my favorite film to come out of 2017, and I despise making such statements with so much of the year left, but Detroit is a film that should not be missed.