legacy of torture

The independent film "Legacy of Torture" premiered this Sunday (1/28/07) at the Roxie in SF. There was a long line of people waiting to see the movie, and an impromptu screening was held after the first to accomodate those waiting in line who couldn't get in to see the first show.

The film provided first hand accounts from 5 men who were detained in the case surrounding the death of SF cop Sgt. John Young in 1971. Those accounts included detailed information on the techniques that were used (i.e. torture) to make them submissive enough to sign confessions, the contents of which they had little or no knowledge. Naturally, those confessions became part of the evidence used against them, though that evidence was later dismissed after it was discovered that it came about as a result of torture at the hands of the police involved in the interrogation.

When I saw the film, I knew very little about the case. After it was over, I tried to think about the positives and negatives of the film. Remember, this is coming from someone who knew little about the case. What impression would such a person walk away with?

The film provided first-hand accounts of 5 men who were detained by police. Their stories were very moving. But...

- the larger context of the story was not clear. Yes, there was information presented about the Black Panthers and the Free Children's Breakfast Program, which several men were involved in, but it was hard to connect the dots between this story and the stories of the men.

- The death of Sgt. John Young wasn't mentioned. (Should it be?) Supposedly their involvement in his death is the reason why these men have been continually harassed by police ever since. But that information, that connection, was not presented.

- Result? For someone not familiar with this story, and assuming that they only saw this film, it would be hard for them to understand the context in which the events took place.

- The film mainly focuses on the accounts (interview-style) of 5 men who were former Black Panther members, in which they recount the torture they underwent and the scripted confessions they signed. But confessions to what? The viewer walks away knowing that these men experienced extreme unjustices at the hands of the police; but the viewer doesn't walk away with any ideas as to why those unjustices were committed. Is that the point of the film? That the events were that random? These men were detained, tortured, and signed confessions under extreme duress, but for what reason? That is the question that loomed in my mind after watching this film...