Detroit (2017)

Fact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of rogue police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice on their minds.

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writer:

Mark Boal

Stars:

John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith

4 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Chalk	...	Officer Frank
Mason Alban	...	Police Sergeant James
Bennett Deady	...	Police Officer Bill
Andrea Eversley	...	Dancer
Michael Jibrin	...	Vietnam Vet
Khris Davis	...	Blind Pig Patron
Tokunbo Joshua Olumide	...	Dave
Daniel Washington	...	Blind Pig Bouncer
Amari Cheatom	...	Undercover Cop
Tyler James Williams	...	Leon
Laz Alonso	...	Congressman Conyers
Benz Veal	...	Nate Conyers
Angel Blaise	...	Young Kid #1
Lance Law	...	Young Kid #2
Jaleel Sanders	...	Young Kid #3

Storyline

A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centred around the Algiers Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women.

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Plot Keywords:

racism | police | motel | 1960s | riot | 

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Taglines:

It's Time We Knew.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and pervasive language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Using a style she first adopted with The Hurt Locker (2008), director Kathryn Bigelow deployed three or four cameras at a time, keeping them in constant motion around the actors. Bigelow preferred to light the entire set to give the performers more flexibility to move around. She didn't block a scene for the camera by plotting out a series of close-ups and wide shots, instead filming everything in a few takes to keep the emotions as raw as possible. "After two or three takes, I have it," she said.

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Goofs

A shot in the first half of the movie includes the back of a parked Volkswagen Beetle, which fills most of the frame for a few seconds. The car's rear deck lid has four large vertical cooling vent slots, a design introduced in 1972.

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Quotes

Krauss: [to Greene] You don't talk about this to anyone, ever.

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Connections

Featured in Honest Trailers: Point Break (1991) (2017)

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Soundtracks

Baby Don't You Weep
Written by Fred Bridges and Richard Knight
Performed by Edward Hamilton & The Arabians
Courtesy of Tuff City Records
By arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Great Filmmaking with a Point Of View

Unless you believe the Black Lives Matters movement has unanimous appeal, do not expect the reviews of Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit" to garner universal praise. By no means does this movie play it safe and, for that reason, it does not seek or expect mass appeal. I suspect that the film will unleash fierce critics of "Hollywood Liberal Bias" and generate howls from those who want to remind us that most cops really are good as well as others who are equally vocal and can't stomach seeing more non-threatening citizens brutally murdered by policemen of a different stripe.

"Detroit" is a movie that is set in 1967 but it is a statement about the type of policing that continues to occur far too frequently in many African American communities. Just as it is not possible to talk about the recent events in Ferguson, NYC, Minneapolis,Baltimore, Chicago, Charleston, Cleveland etc., etc. without expressing a particular point of view, "Detroit" will also reveal many pf our biases as we process the portrayal of the searing events as they may have occurred at the Algiers Motel in the midst of a race riot.

"Detroit" will also force us to talk about our preferences for films that move and disturb us over those that simply entertain and the amount of "historical accuracy" we expect to see in non- documentaries that are set in earlier times.

Bigelow shoots the movie with an unflinching eye and her point of view is obvious. She errs on the side of the cringe worthy and outrageous when depicting evil and the actors are committed, inspired and superbly directed.

"Detroit" is a film that is as difficult to watch as any two hour merciless tragedy involving people we know and care about and it is deeply stirring as it incites (if not assaults) our emotions. This is a stunning film but well crafted art, like our own reflections in the finest of mirrors, isn't always pretty.

"Detroit" intends to upset, provoke and unsettle and, by that account, it is an unmitigated success.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detroit

Filming Locations:

Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$34,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$350,190, 30 July 2017

Gross USA:

$16,790,139

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,355,100

Company Credits

Production Co:

Annapurna Pictures, First Light Production, Page 1

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1