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Attica

  • 2021
  • TV-MA
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
Attica (2021)
Attica details the five-day prison rebellion that transpired in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York and still stands as the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed. More than a simple recounting of the five days of rebellion, ATTICA will also offer a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s.
Play trailer1:23
1 Video
32 Photos
DocumentaryHistory

This unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urge... Read allThis unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later.This unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later.

  • Directors
    • Traci Curry
    • Stanley Nelson
  • Writer
    • Stanley Nelson
  • Stars
    • Arthur Harrison
    • Carlos Roche
    • Tyrone Larkins
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    2.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Traci Curry
      • Stanley Nelson
    • Writer
      • Stanley Nelson
    • Stars
      • Arthur Harrison
      • Carlos Roche
      • Tyrone Larkins
    • 26User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 13 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:23
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos32

    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Stanley Nelson at an event for Attica (2021)
    Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry at an event for Attica (2021)
    Traci Curry at an event for Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)
    Attica (2021)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Arthur Harrison
    Arthur Harrison
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Carlos Roche
    Carlos Roche
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Tyrone Larkins
    Tyrone Larkins
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    George Che Nieves
    George Che Nieves
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    David Brosig
    David Brosig
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Daniel Sheppard
    Daniel Sheppard
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Lawrence Akil Killebrew
    Lawrence Akil Killebrew
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Joe Heath
    Joe Heath
    • Self - Lawyer
    Dee Quinn Miller
    Dee Quinn Miller
    • Self - Daughter of Guard William Quinn
    Lewis M. Steel
    Lewis M. Steel
    • Self - Observer Committee
    Alhajji Sharif
    Alhajji Sharif
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Al Victory
    Al Victory
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    John Johnson
    John Johnson
    • Self - Reporter
    Stewart Dan
    Stewart Dan
    • Self - Reporter
    Herman Schwartz
    Herman Schwartz
    • Self - Observer Committee
    James Asbury
    James Asbury
    • Self - Former Attica Prisoner
    Ann Valone
    Ann Valone
    • Self - Wife of Hostage Carl Valone
    Maryann Valone
    Maryann Valone
    • Self - Daughter of Hostage Carl Valone
    • Directors
      • Traci Curry
      • Stanley Nelson
    • Writer
      • Stanley Nelson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
    • Quotes

      Self -- Former Attica Prisoner: You either shut your mouth, or you were in big trouble. Some people died. Some were crippled. Some were psychologically damaged for life. And, uh, it was a bad place to be.

    • Crazy credits
      End credit title card #1: "29 prisoners and 10 hostages died in the assault on Attica prison. All were killed by law enforcement."
    • Connections
      Featured in The Oscars (2022)
    • Soundtracks
      The Sun (Acapella)
      Written by Richard Lee Jr.

      Performed by The Persuasions

    User reviews26

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Searing Documentary on the Attica uprising
    "Attica! Attica!" That quote by Al Pacino in a scene from Sidney Lumet's brilliant 1975 DOG DAY AFTERNOON is probably all that most people know about the 1971 Prison uprising in New York state (if they get the reference at all).

    Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry's exemplary documentary does a thorough job of telling the full story. It's not just a recitation of facts, either, the filmmakers do excellent work in showing how the small upper state New York that housed the prison was a true 'company town' - the corporation being the state pen. Current day interviews are presented from many who participated (including multiple prisoners) and the families of those who aren't here to tell their story (especially the guards).

    Fortunately for the filmmakers there is ample footage, not just from newsreels, but, quite a bit from inside the prison. The prisoners made the wise P. R. choice to allow the media inside the prison walls in order for their side of the story to be told. The most chilling footage is from Attica's security cameras. They sit silently capturing all of the events without moving or editing. Just observing.

    What's most striking about the early part of the Documentary is how articulate the prisoners were (and are). Their pleas for fair treatment by officials is passionate and well thought out (one of their number, nicknamed 'Jerry the Jew', was an actual lawyer). The sense that they were finally being heard is palpable. There was even some optimism.

    All of this, adds to how painful the final act plays out. Even with some hope expressed early on, one knows how it all turned out. The villains here are then Governor Nelson Rockefeller and President Nixon (who not only expresses support for Rockefeller's actions, but goads him on). The surveillance footage is truly horrific. The police's repeated exhortations to the prisoners to surrender and "you'll all be safe" are just as heartbreaking five decades later.

    Nelson and Curry do mention that some reform did come out it, but, it took far too long, as did any king of recognition and compensation to the guards who became the pawns in the tug of war. ATTICA isn't just a 'history lesson' - it's a vital document that resonates.
    helpful•9
    2
    • gortx
    • Apr 6, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 27, 2022 (Spain)
    • Official site
      • SHOWTIME
    • Also known as
      • Аттика
    • Production companies
      • Showtime Documentary Films
      • Firelight Films
      • Topic Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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