At the age of 86, J.L.H. "Red" Rountree decided to embark on a post-retirement career. He started robbing banks, in 1998. After his first robbery, in Biloxi, Mississippi, Rountree was arrested, found guilty, and -- largely due to his age -- was sentenced to probation and told to leave Mississippi. He moved to the Alabama coastal area, and the following year he robbed another bank, in Pensacola, Florida. This time the sentence was tougher. He spent part of a three-year sentence in a Florida correctional institution before being released again. Returning to his native Texas, Rountree began roaming the state and was arrested again after a bank holdup in Abilene in 2002. This time, he pleaded guilty and received a sentence of twelve years in a federal lockup in Springfield, Missouri. Rountree was just a couple of months short of his 92nd birthday, making him the oldest known bank robber in the country. He died in federal custody on Oct.12, 2004, at age 93.
The story of Red Rountree's unusual life is related in great detail in THIS IS NOT A ROBBERY, a documentary that draws on some cartoonishly recreated footage, as well as news archival video, photos, and the expected talking heads. The directors -- Lucas Jansen, Adam Kurland, and Spencer Vrooman -- also make good use of of audio and video interviews done with Rountree in prison. It's a bit surprising that so many people who knew Rountree (including his second wife)-- and who seem to have loved and respected the man -- were willing to talk about him in front of the camera.
The portrait they paint of Rountree is of a largely self-made man who came out of rural Texas to make for himself and his family a very comfortable life in Houston. But, as one person puts it, "he lived too long." After selling one thriving business, Rountree lost most of HIS money in another enterprise. Personal tragedies also darkened his life, and by the time he was in his 80s, he was in desperate straits. And then he discovered, as he said, that "robbin' banks is fun!" The makers of this is not a robbery walk a fine line between "ain't them old geezers cute" comedy and a real human tragedy. They aren't always successful in remaining balanced, but rarely are they very offensive in telling Red's story. In his defense, one can admire the man's refusal to make excuses for himself, as well as the fact that he never armed himself or threatened harm to anyone during his robberies. THIS IS NOT A ROBBERY is also a reminder that every person, no matter how mundane their life might seem, has a story to tell.
The story of Red Rountree's unusual life is related in great detail in THIS IS NOT A ROBBERY, a documentary that draws on some cartoonishly recreated footage, as well as news archival video, photos, and the expected talking heads. The directors -- Lucas Jansen, Adam Kurland, and Spencer Vrooman -- also make good use of of audio and video interviews done with Rountree in prison. It's a bit surprising that so many people who knew Rountree (including his second wife)-- and who seem to have loved and respected the man -- were willing to talk about him in front of the camera.
The portrait they paint of Rountree is of a largely self-made man who came out of rural Texas to make for himself and his family a very comfortable life in Houston. But, as one person puts it, "he lived too long." After selling one thriving business, Rountree lost most of HIS money in another enterprise. Personal tragedies also darkened his life, and by the time he was in his 80s, he was in desperate straits. And then he discovered, as he said, that "robbin' banks is fun!" The makers of this is not a robbery walk a fine line between "ain't them old geezers cute" comedy and a real human tragedy. They aren't always successful in remaining balanced, but rarely are they very offensive in telling Red's story. In his defense, one can admire the man's refusal to make excuses for himself, as well as the fact that he never armed himself or threatened harm to anyone during his robberies. THIS IS NOT A ROBBERY is also a reminder that every person, no matter how mundane their life might seem, has a story to tell.
