"Detroit" Directed by Kathryn Bigelow Depicts Detroit Riots in 1967 and the Police Murder Trials

"No justice for black people." says the mother of Philandro Castillo, who was shot & killed by an officer in his car this summer.  The disturbing depiction of the Detroit riots in 1967 mirror, time & time again, a pent up rage boiling over from racial discrimination & abuse compounded by a legal system that fails flagrantly to convict the killing of black men by white officers.  "Detroit" is directed by Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker").  Bigelow narrows in on the horrifying events in the Algiers Motel during the 5 days of rioting in 1967.  Three teens, Carl Cooper 17, Fred Temple 18 & Aubrey Pollard 19 were all shot & killed by Detroit officers.  All officers were all exonerated.   Seven other black men were brutalized & tortured along with 2 white women.  These devastating days in Detroit occurred 50 years ago this month.  The rebellious rioting & looting left 43 people dead, more than 4,000 people of color arrested & cataclysmic destruction of businesses & property.  The area resembled a war zone.  The State Police & Nat'l Guard were called out to establish order & defuse the rioting.  Bigelow presents racial discrimination & tensions in the city during this period.  The artistic contributions by black musicians & artists of the time; specifically in Detroit are juxtaposed against blatant racism & hatred.  The opening sequence utilize the paintings by Jacob Lawrence to illustrate the northern migration to large metropolitan cities for work only to encounter pervasive racial discrimination & harsh living conditions.  We see the shooting of a young girl in her apt. by a Nat'l Guard as tanks roll down the city streets.  The tempo & focus shift to following 2 men, a singer & his mgr. ordered to evacuate prior to performing.  The two wind their way through the disorderly streets ending at what seemed an oasis; the Algiers Motel.  There they become trapped & tortured by police while State Police & the Nat'l Guards turn their heads.  Seven men & 2 white women were forced at gun point to keep their heads & arms against the wall, they were systematically brutalized & 3 murdered.  This powerful film puts the audience amidst the victims.  The feelings of fear, anger, tension & ultimately despair at the failure of justice are visceral.  The 2 1/2 hours is a grueling & hypnotic experience.  After the night at the Algiers of Hell & murder, the 3 officers who murdered & colluded are brought to trial.  The case is thrown out despite 2 of the officers admissions of guilt by the judge for failing to provide the police their Miranda rights.  Following the ruling, a black women outside the courtroom said to a reporter, "If white men were found in the hotel with black women, no one would have died."  Unfortunately, this mitigates the impact of more pertinent, troubling issues.  "There never was any justice."  (Thelma Pollard, sister of slain Aubrey Pollard)