Detroit

Kathryn Bigelow is a skilled director who has delivered many films that are impressive in every respect, so I was really looking forward to this lesser-known film for most people. The movie deals with the Detroit riots of 1967 and primarily focuses on the murders at the Algiers Motel. I must commend the cinematography, which pulled me into the story with its dynamism from the very first minutes. Normally, I’m not a fan of this type of “shaky” camera work, but it was truly fitting here. Additionally, I greatly appreciate the cast that the creators assembled. John Boyega surprisingly didn’t bother me here; I could more easily imagine someone else in his role in Star Wars, but I had no issues with his uniform expression here—it suited the character. Will Poulter particularly gave an outstanding performance, making everyone probably want to pull their hair out whenever his antagonist appeared on screen. The middle section set in the motel is probably the most suspenseful part of the film; there were moments when the actions of many characters genuinely made me feel uneasy, and the final trial added the figurative cherry on top. Incomprehensible. Excellent craftsmanship. I give it 81%. (09/16/2019)

Kathryn Bigelow is not a bad director at all, and this sensitive racist theme was surprisingly very fitting for me. Will Poulter's performance as the unlikely pissed off bastard was top notch and I hope he gets to portray more villains because he is very well suited to it. Despite the longer running time the film holds your attention, it's quite gritty, shocking and emotional in places, and it all culminates in a 20 minute scandalous trial scene that has decent balls and confirms a respectable 4 stars. A good film. 80%. (12/14/2017)

With Kathryn Bigelow's films I usually appreciate a lot the quasi-documentary portrayals, but I also have a problem with the dramatic detachment and the not-quite-successful attempt at maximum plot complexity. Detroit is her first film where both aspects work almost 100% of the time. The visual naturalism and authentic atmosphere are established in a matter of seconds and don't let up until the end, and in the first 90 minutes we follow a precisely constructed story moving from an overarching racial conflict to a conflict between a group of more or less profiled characters. The actors are excellent and it’s perhaps a pity that we learn so little about some of them despite the long runtime, while others are artificially made-up types in order to classically dramatise the true story. The last 45 minutes do ease off the throttle, and the film eases the viewer out of the emotional cage thanks to a softening of the radical editing and shaky camerawork, but as a whole it’s a narrative without major flaws or hesitations, writing a dignified and urgent epitaph to the victims that emerged from the event. Even an old song about race still has its power when it gets a creative conductor like this. 80% (12/24/2017)

A tense drama with a lesson that even the smallest mistake can cost you your life when people are under stress. Detroit is mainly about the inability to communicate and racism against both blacks and white that results. Bigelow cleverly does not favor any minority (either the police or color) and, even though in the finale the white boys are branded as criminals, at the beginning it’s clear that they were just trying to keep order before their nerves snapped. Racism isn’t the problem. The problem is as always about moral and immoral behavior. I used to think I couldn’t, but in the end I could. (03/06/2018)

Kathryn Bigelow has learnt something since her last movie and wrecked the nerves of anyone who suffers with the suspense in a movie and hopes for a good ending. Detroit has quite an interesting plot, which is based on the racial issues in the USA in 1976, but at the same time they are not mentioned anywhere throughout the storyline. At the beginning the movie shows a brutal chaos in the city, nowadays comparable only to the situation in Syria. However, we are still talking about America here. The second part is focused on a specific case of what the Detroit police did in the city during these uprisings. This part probably occupies the most time and is the most brutal. The black people are on the oppressed side once again, which I got more or less used to in the recent years, but on the other hand, considering their situation, I am not really surprised. To stay politically correct, there is a role that is played excellently by John Boyega, who is as neutral as Switzerland. That leaves us with the third part, which shows the climax of the situations from the middle part of the movie. You can count on this part being the most absurd, even though the second part is pretty crazy as well. Detroit is without questions a film of a good quality. During watching it, the humankind literally made me sick. And since I know it is not only about racial discrimination, I am thinking of moving to some cottage in the mountains in the future, connecting it to the Internet and living the rest of my days in solitude, as it may be the best solution. (01/23/2018)