Detroit - Review
This review of Detroit is spoiler-free!
Racial issues were at the peak of the political turmoil in the time of the 1960s. At the top of the period, it felt as though black Americans were just getting prosecuted for fun. Eerily similar to the times of today right? Truth be told, films like Detroit are a means to look into the past to help hopefully shine a light on where not to go in the future. What we could come to be like, but what we shouldn't become. A major part of the 12th Street Riots is that of the Algiers Motel, which was a racially charged incident between white police officers and black residents of the location. While this wasn't necessarily something I had originally thought up as something that would pique my interest, once I read more into the story and the actors involved, it jumped to the top of my watch list. So, let's talk about Detroit!
As I mentioned, Detroit is all about the 12th Street Riots, and the handling of the incident through the military and Detroit police. These riots are threatening to destroy the city with the level of unrest, and in the midst of all of this is there is gunfire at the Algiers motel, resulting in a raid. This is where the majority of the film takes place, with the wrongful berating of the residents and resulting deaths. All in all, the story of Detroit I believe is highly fictionalized based on what I was reading, but it was an interesting look into the Detroit riots. I absolutely loved how realistic the film was and just how much it managed to capture the raw brutality of the entire time period. Truth be told, the story shook me to the bone and I was glad to see the film.
Reflecting on characters, the main characters of the film are Melvin Dismukes (John Boyega), Philip Krauss (Will Poulter), and Larry Reed (Algee Smith). Melvin Dismukes is, in all reality, an outsider in the law enforcement industry. Dismukes was a private security agent who became involed in the investigation at the Algiers motel, and tried his best to get right justice, unlike the racial tense Philip Krauss. Will Poulter's villainous officer is terrifying and managed to strike fear into me on a level that fictional characters may not be able to. He has a job to do and will do whatever is necessary to complete said job. He stepped into that motel with the intention of finding someone to commit to the crime, regardless if the real killer was there. Poulter, in my mind, was an excellent choice for the villain. Finally we come to Algee Smith's Larry Reed, the person most focused on who became involved in the incident. Originally a member of The Dramatics, he is terrified by the events occurring in front of him. For me, he was the beating heart of the film in a way John Boyega couldn't be for some reason.
The one part of this film that I've mentioned previously that I want to take a deeper dive into is the overall brutality of the movie. Once the movie focuses in on the Algiers motel, they show the utter disdain that these police officers have for the law and for the people they have in their sights. The way this film manages to show this brutality is terrifying. Krauss has tactics that he uses in this movie that I feared beyond belief and could not believe were possibly real. In truth though, I do believe this happened in this means regardless of the recognition that the film is fictionalized as the true events were never completely confirmed. For some viewers, the subject matter may be a bit tense and tough to watch. Overall, I do think its necessary to realize what you are watching and just how hard hitting of a film this is, but do not mistake my concerns for disappoint, this is a movie that should be seen.
Reflecting on Detroit, I can't say that I came into the movie with extremely high expectations. With the reviews of the film being a bit all over the spectrum, it never managed to seem to lean one direction or the other. The 12th Street riots were a critical moment in Detroit's history and a moment that should be remembered in these trying times. As mentioned at the top of this article, films like this are tough to make with justice, but if done with the right care they can be necessary for consumption and a true means to relive the past so that it isn't reflected in the future. While Detroit isn't the best made film of all time, I do think it should be watched. Check out Detroit whenever you can!
8/10
