Written by: Mark Boal
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jason Mitchell, John Krasinski, Anthony Mackie
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Fact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice.
Verdict
Starting with a true story this explores history, racism, and violence, it's a gripping though difficult story where your hope for justice will go unfulfilled. There are a lot of characters, and not all of them are developed as much as they should be. The question presented is how different would the night have been in a white community. It's difficult to fight abuses of power because everyone else fears for their own safety. The movie doesn't provide answers, seeking to tell the story of what happened while drawing parallels to the current day.
Watch it.
Review
The script is based on eye witness accounts and stories from the night. This starts out a bit muddled with an animated introduction of the great migration and lots of characters that we don't know how or if they fit together. The precipitating event was a police raid. This scene is unconnected to the main plot, but provides context.
What transpires in Detroit is just as poignant today as it was then. Vandals and looters get blamed for making a situation worse, but they aren't the root. The community depicted at 12th street was pushed too far and they reacted violently. Throughout the movie I couldn't help but wonder how the situation would have unfolded if it was a white community. No doubt events wouldn't have escalated as far, and I imagine this in part the movie's intent.
The looting leads to the 12th Street riots and the National Guard shows up. Everything converges at the Algiers hotel with a band hopeful of getting signed, a private security guard, the National Guard, and a trio of cops ready to assume anyone black is guilty. A cap gun, which was a a bad idea, is mistaken for gun fire. I had to wonder how the cops think there is a sniper in the area. Someone firing a gun, sure, but a sniper implies something completely different and there is never indication that it's actually a sniper.
The military open fire on the Hotel Algiers unprovoked. The same cop Krauss, who earlier that day shot a robbery suspect who was running away, appoints himself in charge of finding the gun. Krauss is the villain of the movie, but numerous characters let him get away with way too much.
John Boyega plays a private security guard, and while he knows Krauss is out of line, he's afraid to risk his own safety. You can't blame him. He's in an impossible situation. John Boyega really brings it, but after the initial introduction his character doesn't have a lot to do. He's stuck in the hotel like everyone else. He's afraid to stop what's happening, but doesn't want to leave either. I wanted him to fix the situation, but you know why he can't.
Krauss is unlikable. He's a bad cop and person, racist all the way through. Played by Will Poulter, he seemed a bit young for the role. Earlier in the day, he shot a suspect in the back, and the movie seemed to imply it stemmed from inexperience, but the next time he's on duty we see he's just a terrible person. He plants a weapon on someone else he kills in cold blood. I don't know if the movie was trying to misdirect us on this character, but it didn't feel authentic. It's a bigger surprise to make us think it's inexperience, then again that's not an excuse for shooting a fleeing suspect in the back.
There's no way for this situation to go but bad. The National Guard leave because they know the situation isn't right. The people in power that could have done something, do nothing. The cops are left to their own devices, leading their "suspects" to believe they are executing everyone they question. While this doesn't lead to a false confession, it's easy to see how that does happen. Eventually Krauss and crew leave, not because they've found the non-existent weapon, but because they want to avoid any repercussions.
The cops and Boyega's character were charged with murder. It's a frustrating conclusion. I was worried Boyega's character would take the fall. The cops escape consequences because they didn't know they could remain silent before they confessed. How can they enforce the law, but not understand it? That's the disconnect. They don't even need a good excuse to avoid their crimes. The jury even says the cops aren't guilty of assault despite bruised and beaten witnesses on the stand. These cops never returned to active duty which is a telling detail in of itself.
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