Detroit

Racism have always been a problem worldwide. You would think that we would all get along, no matter what skin color you have. Unfortunately, racism still exists today. Many people have tried for many generations to make a change, to make people understand that we are all humans. No matter what country you are from, no matter what language you speak, we all live on the same planet to help each other. Racism have been a subject in many films over a very long time in Hollywood films. I could mention a lot of titles, but let´s focus on 2 films especially. The first film that comes to mind, is Alan Parker´s emotional and powerful drama film Mississippi Burning from 1988. A film everyone needs to see, where actors Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe are 2 FBI agents in the year of 1964, trying to investigate a murder case on young men. It becomes very clear that racism is a very big problem down in Mississippi with the Klu Klux Klan. Both actors Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe did really powerful perfomances, as the film really digs deep into all the hate from racists. Director Alan Parker clearly wanted to make the film as believable as possible, even if it can be very brutal and tragic. Another really powerful film, released in 1998, is the film American History X. The story of 2 brothers, who have become involved in a neo-Nazi movement, is a very tragic and destructive story, of how bad things can become, if you live with only hate in your heart. American History X may not have been a box office hit back in 1998, but have become a cult film on dvd, including on blu ray. Director Tony Kaye made this film so powerful, that i remember the first time i watched the film, i could not get it out of my mind. The acting from Edward Norton in this film is spectacular, and Edward Furlong does the best performance of his career so far. American History X is one of the best drama films of the 90´s, and a must see in every school. So teachers worldwide, please show this film to students. Director Kathryn Bigelow is one of the legendary directors of Hollywood, who have made many really good films. Some of you might remember her earlier work such as Point Break with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Or how about the cult classic Strange Days with Juliette Lewis ? Since then she continued making powerful films, including one of my personal favourites called Zero Dark Thirty. Her latest film Detroit is based on true events, during the 1967 riots in Detroit. I had to read a little bit about this historical tragedy, to understand what really happened. When i read that director Kathryn Bigelow would direct a film based on this historical tragedy, i had to see the film. Is this latest film from Bigelow one of the best films of her career, or is Detroit a step in the wrong direction for her ?

On July 23rd, 1967, the Police stage a raid on an unlicensed club, while black veterans are celebrating their return. While suspects are being arrested, a mob forms and start attacking the police with rocks, vandalize stores and starts fires all over town. The situation is no longer in control, and police and military is called in to clean up the streets. Detroit is now a war zone, and no one is completely safe.

It has been a while since we have seen a very powerful film about racism. I would say that 12 Years A Slave was perhaps one of the few films that really affected me personally. Detroit is a disturbing story, of what happened during the year 1967 in Detroit. And i have to say, Detroit is a film that will make you react, and feel anger. When you see how bad this situation was, and how it was handled, you can´t help to think about what could have been done correctly. Did this really need to go that far ? Could the police have handled this situation in a better way ? Did the citizens of Detroit go too far with their protests ? There are a lot of things you think about, while you watch Detroit. It is very clear that the city was divided, as the riots grew larger and made chaos. From a political perspective, the film does capture the time period very well, and use a lot of the political issues that were important during this time. The acting in this film is really good, and we have some names we should mention. Actor Will Poulter as the Police Officer Philip Krauss is clearly a man who don´t care about crossing the line. He will make his voice heard, especially when black people are around. Will really digs deep into his character, and develop him into a mean racist personality. Actor John Boyega ( who most probably know from Star Wars ), also deliver a very solid performance as security guard Melvin. A very intelligent man, who knows how to handle the situation, when chaos have emerged around the streets of Detroit. The strongest scenes in the film, is inside a hotel, when police take innocent civilians to torture. Especially when the team is led by the brutal police officer Philip Krauss. Director Kathryn Bigelow have tried to portrait this historical tragedy, in a very honest way. She knows how to portrait the story from both sides, and you have to decide who you feel did right or wrong. I also feel that director Kathryn Bigelow knows how to make very powerful drama films, and Detroit will affect you. Detroit is a film that should be seen by all ages. Even if this happened many years ago, racism still exist. And we can never forget about history, no matter what happened or where it happened. Make sure to see Detroit on dvd or blu ray this Christmas, if you want a very strong film experience. This is one of the movie highlights of this year.

Rating: DDDD