Review of 13th (2016) by Kj P — 15 Feb 2017

I'm very particular about the documentaries I watch, due to the fact that there are so many out there and so little time. When I first heard about Ava DuVernay writing and directing this documentary, I was immediately intrigued. Her work on the film Selma blew me away and I was looking forward to her next project. When I saw that it had been nominated for best documentary feature at the Oscars my interest increased even more so. To my surprise, not only is this film a great documentary, but it may just be one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. The message given throughout this film is extremely with the times and needs to be seen by anyone do disagrees with just about anything in today's politics. Here is why this is one of the most essential viewings of the 2017 Oscar nominees.

Diving pretty deep into the prison system from the 1960s to today, 13th explores the horrors of racial equality around America, and how it really hasn't changed as of today. If anything, it has become more of a problem than ever, and my jaw was on the floor in the final few moments of this film. A documentaries job is to convey a message in a reasonably respectable manor, even if there is no way it will please every viewer. I do feel that anyone who enjoys any aspect in politics will find something to love about this film. The big moment that this film delivers before cutting to the credits is extremely eye-opening and warrants a viewing in and of itself. 13th is more powerful than most films of its kind.

The main thing that liked about this film (which was also a very difficult pill to swallow) was how it chose to show actual footage of the crimes committed around the world in the past and how it hasn't changed very much nowadays. They held nothing back in showcasing that our world is still just as corrupt as ever and we just choose to ignore it, making it seem better. Usually just scraping the surface of the issues going on around in the world today, documentaries usually hold back certain aspects, but 13th really goes for it. As mentioned above, this film is a real eye-opener and a rude awakening for anyone who has been blinded by certain things like most of the population has.

Each and every person interviewed throughout the course of this film seems to be 100% invested in the topics at hand, making the message reveal itself in a much stronger way that what had already been written with care by Ava DuVernay. Even the placement of certain interviewees in each frame was clearly done on purpose, making the film itself segregated in certain areas. I found this incredibly compelling and it only added even more to the story. Every time someone appeared on-screen, I was engaged even before they began speaking, because I wanted to uncover more answers from the past.

Like almost every documentary I have ever seen, it's very hard to give them a perfect score, due to the fact that they are always one-sided. Yes, there is supposed to be a specific message being conveyed and it should never stray from the message it wants the viewers to be exposed to, but certain things should be left up to the interpretation of its audience. That being said, 13th isn't the type of film that needs to leave certain things to interpretation, which does mean that this will be the first documentary I have ever given a perfect score to. I was compelled from start to finish. Whether it was through the visuals, the musical elements used to segue between topics, or the cutting between interviews and real footage, this is one of the most engaging documentaries I have ever seen. If you haven't heard about this film, I highly recommend giving it a look, because it may just be the reality check that you need.