Review of Detroit (2017) by L L — 28 Jul 2017

I really wanted to like this movie. Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal - who can ask for a better combination? I was a big fan of Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker, and Boal's story In the Valley of Elah that also covered race and the complexities of emotions involved in that issue. I was really looking forward to a complex presentation of race in this film. Unfortunately, the movie I saw was not any different than what the liberal media has presented in its coverage of police vs. civilian cases that involve race. Nothing new. No clarity, no reasoning - just pure injustice, racism, violence, victimization, and nonsensical evil. Perhaps that is the world we live in, but there would be greater weight given to its victims if the original acts were attributable to something more than a young, naive police officer - as is the case in this film. What is it that drives white police officer to brutally act out on the African-American community? What fears lie behind those acts? What ignorant thinking is perpetuated in the safety of stereotyping? Sadly, none of that was covered.

With that said, this is an important film because it covers an important event. It absolutely must be watched by Americans, even if the writing/directing are not perfect. I agree with many of the critics who wished for more nuance in the individual characters. That - I did not expect to be lacking from a Bigelow/Boal production, and not sure what went wrong. Part of me suspects that it might be bad editing. What content did they leave out? Take out some of the prolonged shaky camera looting scenes, and bring in more of the dialog that we haven't seen, but was filmed? My favorite character was the African-American police officer who would look genuinely perturbed any time a white police officer would ask him what he thinks other African-Americans will do - as if he can predict their every action because he's of the same race.

Overall, regardless of how you feel regarding these issue, it's not only 'worth' watching, but it is something that should be watched. There are many issues that need to be discussed, and the film does provoke dialog regarding these issues - even with the representation of African-Americans in film. Is the victimized African-American the only storyline that Hollywood feels comfortable producing and watching? At what point does the film's depiction of violence give justice to what occurred; and at what point does it become an act of the audience consuming the pain of others as entertainment? What is most surprising is hearing about the reactions from some of the viewers in that community - sobbing, walking out of the theater - all because it is too close and familiar to them. That is the real tragedy. That today, in 2017, people still feel that this violence is so close and real to them. Despite some of the shortcomings, the film gives recognition to that terrible fact.