Director Kathryn Bigelow made some reasonable films in the early part of her career, such as the much loved Point Break. However, nothing, apart maybe from her involvement in the seminal TV programme Homicide: Life on the Street prepared me for the stunning impact made by The Hurt Locker in 2008 and the even better Zero Dark Thirty four years later. The wait has been even longer for her next feature, but Detroit is a film worth waiting for.
The story is based on true events that took place in the city in July 1967 when an ill-advised police raid in a black neighbourhood triggered riots that lasted five days and involved the deployment of the National Guard. Bigelow concentrates mostly on a few hours at the Algiers Motel, where, police officers hunting a suspected sniper, detain a group of black men and two white women. In a heightened, tense, atmosphere, three of the suspects were murdered by the police.
After a skilfully presented opening that deftly introduces the various protagonists, the staging of the holding of the innocent people at the hotel is done absolutely brilliantly. With the restless camerawork and totally convincing performances it becomes almost unbearably tense. The final act, a more conventional courtroom drama as the policemen are put on trial, does not live up to the preceeding section but it is sure to leave you feeling outraged. In fact, and surprisingly as the screenwriter is Mark Boal, the only false notes are a couple of clunky attempts to show that not all white cops are racist – when an injured man is found staggering out of the Algiers and when a homicide detective rails against one of the dirty cops.
Of a uniformly excellent cast, the stand outs are John Boyega as a conflicted security guard, Will Poulter as a sadistic cop, and especially Algee Smith as an aspiring singer caught up in the mayhem. Not as consistently superb as Zero Dark Thirty, this is nevertheless another outstanding movie from one of the best working directors.
Rating: 9.25 out of 10