Review of Detroit (2017) by Garry A — 28 Nov 2017

Given the racial tensions between police and black citizens in the US, this is a very timely period drama from Kathryn Bigelow. Chronicling the Detroit riots of 1967, in particular the Algiers hotel incident, which resulted in the police executing three innocent African-American citizens, it's parallels to modern America are striking.

The film is distinctly broken down into three acts - the build-up, where characters are introduced, and ultimately set on the course where they end up at said hotel location, is fine, but the drawn-out second act, is as tense a scene as I have seen in a film for some time. Bigelow utilises ambient sound, in a similar manner to Christopher Nolan, in that it is a constant presence, adding unrelenting menace. Even the quieter moments have a sustained aura of buzzing lights or neon, so that there is not a single moment of silence throughout. This combined with the glowering performances of the three lead cops, in particular an unreal William Poulter (how he has grown up since Son of Rambow!) produces an unremitting second act of brutality and ultimate carnage. Without delving into spoiler-territory, the conclusion feels weak after what has gone before, which is not helped by an unsatisfactory outcome for all the main players - a happy ending it is not.

Bigelow employs an unusual directorial style here, mixing up handheld jerky-footage, more conventional location shot material, as well as incorporating actual documentary photos and video from '67 itself. She doesn't always get it right though in my opinion - while I can understand the use of kinetic hand-held cameras for fast moving action sequences, I don't need to be dazzled by a guy singing in a choir, or during an interview in a police station. The balance just doesn't feel right. It's a shame, as the performances are dynamic enough without needing the false intensity injected by having shots drift in and out of focus, as the cameras can't keep up with the demands put on them.

Overall, solid work, but not up with the best in her back-catalogue. Watchable for the performances alone, and that epic second act.