This film is a 2016 co-production between the United States and several European countries. I am actually surprised to see Switzerland even involved here. France is probably not a big surprise with ARTE partially in charge. Anyway, this film is mostly in the English language and runs for slightly over 1.5 hours. The writer and director is Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck and this is perhaps the career-defining effort of his pretty long career so far. Interestingly enough, the next film he made after this one was also a political movie, but had a completely different background because it was a live action movie starring August Diehl as Karl Marx. We talked about that one on another occasion. As for this one here, it was also a bit of a family affair with Raoul's younger brother Hébert being a producer. So I said Peck is the writer and this is only partially true because it is originally based on James Baldwin's incomplete writings about the deaths of his three friends Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King who were all murdered and chronologically in that order I believe. I must say I was not familiar with Evers, but the other two are really big names, have also been portrayed in successful films and Denzel Washington's turn as Malcolm X comes to mind immediately. However, with MLK I wonder if we ever get a truly defining movie. Live action movie, I mean. Okay, as for this one here, like I said in the title of my review I believe that they did not reach a sufficient degree of quality. The old footage was pretty good and pretty haunting though. And not just actual real life footage, but this movie also gives quite a few interesting film recommendations and the scenes we saw there made me curious, especially the classroom scene with the ashamed girl and the two men being fugitives, which is of course a really famous film. Sidney Poitier was included several times here, but interestingly enough we do not see any extracts from his Oscar-winning performance I believe. Poitier is really old now, actually 93 just like Belafonte, another artist you see on several occasions in this documentary and on one occasion the two are even mentioned together, namely when there is a brief mention of how they were sex symbols despite their race, but it was a taboo to see Black men as such. People did not talk about it. I always thought though that Belafonte was a better singer than actor and the fact that we do not see a single film from him here kinda confirms it. However, even if they included some interesting movies, there were also some questionable inclusions, especially towards the end the one with Doris Day. These inclusions had no impact whatsoever. Race is not an issue. There aren't even any Black actors or characters. Very bizarre. Made no sense no matter what despereate explanation they are going to give you. I wish that they could have left out these specific scenes and instead maybe reported from a neutral standpoint on some other characters you see in here. Or groups. With that I am talking about the Black Panther movement that is sadly presented in here. I wish they could have shed light on this group's radical sides as well. They should have. Still back to what I was just talking about: The movie references were still among the better things the film had to offer. In general, when they went back to Baldwin's original idea the film increased in quality, which is why I believe that with better focus and a better adaptation, Baldwin's works offered the potential for a much better documentary. Shame. The outcome is definitely a missed opportunity. This becomes especially obvious in the scene when they connected the interesting mention of the forecast that there will one day be a Black President of the United States of America to a very amateurish-looking montage of random generic scenes of Obama and his wife. Thanks, we already know that it happened. At least make it look good technically if you have to include it. This sequence really felt more as if it was made by student filmmakers.

Overall, the film was highly disappointing with its key issue. Example: The White race is reported on almost exclusively in a derogatory manner, but they should have differentiated and seen that it consists of a gigantic amount of human beings, all of them individuals. We see on one occasion a group of young women, also old recordings, just having a fun time in the sun. With this they wanted to show us the female ideal of racists back then and I found it highly disrespectful towards the women shown there in such a context. If they are still alive today or if one of them was my grandmother, it brings a certain kind of unjust(ified) shame on them. There is even a minor reference that these girls could be racists themselves. Implied. No evidence whatsoever. Overall, this film occasionally is in danger of doing the exact thing it criticizes, namely not see people from a certain race as individuals, but categorize them as racists as a whole and blame everybody for those few who actually deserve the blame, even if some of these horrible acts happened decades ago when many weren't even alive. The Kennedys also don't get away unharmed, but that is another story.

I also want to say a few words on the very basic components here. The narrator is Samuel L. Jackson and I like him quite a bit. Awesome actor. Makes me a bit sad to see him associated with a shallow film like this that is sending out a questionable message. But he is still brilliant compared to how apparently they cast rapper Samy Deluxe to be the narrator of the German version? What in God's name? No apology for this. Abysmal choice. He is not even an actor and he has a history of substance abuse. As for the narration too, I already mentioned the girls having a fun time earlier, but there was also a crucial flaw that absolutely should not happen with a high-profile film like this, namely when we see them, there is a statement that we all know/knew a Black person in our environment somewhere and when they mentioned the places where we maybe know them from, then they said "high school" in the original and the subtitles said something entirely different. I am not completely sure what it was. Household? No, something else I think, but this proves how amateurish some portions of this film were handled. Disgraceful. They should be 100% precise with an important film on such a controversial subject.

Of course with the George Floyd situation, the subject in here is also as current as it gets. Or is it really? I say no. And the reason is that in this film you see many occasions of grave racism, sometimes violent ways even, terrible ways, from back in the day and if you compare this to how things are today, there is only one verdict: Times have changed 100%. Racism is not entirely gone, probably never will be, but it's minimal compared to what happened back in the day. Everybody who says that, after all this time (and the filmmakers at least imply this),still nothing has improved is not truthful or not well-informed. We should be proud of how things have developed. But not one bit proud of those who motivate others, perhaps even pay them, to go on the streets and riot, burgle stores, basically use them to push through with their anarchist views without getting their own hands dirty. Now THAT is what I call real racism in the 21st century if we turn people into string puppets, especially if those are at the center of the action and are once again likely to get into danger. Everybody should just live in peace with each other! The film forgets all the improvements.

And this is what you should take from this movie. When one single man acts shamefully (racist or not) towards somebody else, then this does not make an entire profession racist. Or homophobic. Or misogynist. If you have nothing in common with this (potentially racist) criminal in a police uniform, don't kneel, but show dignity instead. And most of all, the color of your skin also does not give you any responsibility, guilt or obligation. Treat others like equals. Do better than those who don't. But don't bend down. Don't turn yourself into a victim for no reason. Another thing I want to say: I wish this movie would not only have elaborated on White-on-Black crime, but also on other proportions, percentages and statistics for a more neutral perception. Okay, that is all. Sorry for going a bit OT here and there, but I guess with the context and approach this film takes, it is absolutely necessary to bring in some perspective. One must not remove 90% of truth to support a reality that is included in the remaining 10%. I find it not so cool by the filmmakers that they were trying to do so and also Boo! to the Oscars for nominating this film and the BAFTAs for giving it an award even. Oh yeah, one more thing: The final word from the title, no matter if the five-letter or six-letter version. There is no major elaboration on it in the movie, but I personally do not use it because I know it will always offend people, but then I think nobody should use it and it should not be a privilege to some. Make it a taboo or allow it for everybody, just my opinion. Nobody should carry guilt for what people did or said a 100 years ago.

Finally, to still end the review on a positive note, I would like to mention that that discussion group that involved Belafonte, Brando and (especially) Heston looked really interesting. Shame they did not include more extracts from this show. So this is all from me here. I give the overall outcome a thumbs-down and it would have been in my interest if this film had really been more about the indeed tragic and despicable killings of Baldwin's friends instead of turning this film into a clumsy anti-racism statement. Also think it would have been in Baldwin's interest himself. May he/they rest in peace. The film gets a negative recommendation from me. Not recommended. Stay tolerant everybody, all for equality!

"If any white man in the world says give me liberty or give me death, the entire white world applauds. When a black man says exactly the same thing word for word, he is judged a criminal and treated like one. And everything possible is done to make an example of....... him."

These are the words of writer James Baldwin. Just think Malcolm X or Nelson Mandela.

Raoul Peck's documentary expands on Baldwin's unfinished essay of the murders of his activist friends Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X. He knew all three of them, he appeared on television with King and Malcolm X as they debated with each other.

Baldwin was an erudite writer. He was a long term resident in Paris so he had looked at his homeland from afar. Baldwin then decided to return to the USA and become an observer of the civil rights movement. Baldwin was neither Christian, Muslim or a member of the NAACP. His sexuality might had been a factor in this.

This documentary contains his provocative analysis of race, class and American bad faith. Peck splices newsreel images and interviews of Baldwin. It conveys Baldwin's anger because the game is rigged and Baldwin knew this from an early age. You see politicians of the time, liberals such as Robert Kennedy who is not really interested in the plight of blacks in 1960s southern states of America.

Baldwin as a youngster would cheer Hollywood cowboys killing the native Indians in the movies. Later realising that the black person was in fact the native Indian. He had been cheering the wrong side.

There is a humorous moment when Baldwin's FBI file reveals his probable homosexuality and classifies him as a dangerous individual. Baldwin was openly gay but being quietly passionate and intellectual still saw him as dangerous.

The documentary is narrated by Samuel L Jackson in more sombre tones. I did not even realise it was Jackson's voice I was hearing.

Baldwin died of cancer in 1987 at a relatively young age of 63. I only became aware of him several months before his death when he was profiled in a news program in Britain. I later learnt that he had tried for years to get a biopic of Malcolm X off the ground. Despite the bleakness contained in this documentary there is also optimism. He did not see white people as the devils.

Baldwin's story of Black America is still the story of today's Black America. When a black man dies getting arrested by the police on camera. The debate soon moves to but white lives matter as well.

I do not live in the US but I am fascinated by it. I live in the Netherlands where a dutch musician recommended it through social media. Reading James Baldwin's books was already on my to do list and this movie has enticed me even more to dive further in the head of this mastermind. His analysis of the American life is layered and complex but ultimatly comes down to one thing: Are you willing to look at who you really are and are you willing to change to make your society a better place. This movie embodies a universal timeless truth through the mind and creativity of a skillfull genius. A gift to anyone who is open to learn.