Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno's documentary, originally broadcast on the PBS-aired P.O.V. series, revisits the violent riots that destroyed much of Newark, NJ during July 1967. The root of the upheaval lay in an act of police brutality—two white cops beat a black taxi driver following a minor traffic infraction, resulting in the driver being hospitalized. Rumors spread that the driver had died, which sparked off a rampage, as many in Newark's black community looted and destroyed white-owned businesses (the film, unfortunately, appears to justify this action by claiming that white business owners routinely ripped off black customers). In any case, the ferocity of the riot quickly overwhelmed Newark's police, which resulted in the arrival of state police and New Jersey National Guard troops, a move that only aggravated the problem, particularly after incompetent National Guardsmen fired ammunition indiscriminately at housing projects. While the media of the era blamed the violence on Newark's black population, subsequent investigations found law enforcement guilty of escalating the chaos, firing off a total of 13,000 rounds of ammunition during the five days of unrest (civilian gunfire accounted for a paltry 100 rounds). The film combines talking-head interviews of many witnesses, including political activist Tom Hayden and playwright Amiri Baraka (who was arrested and assaulted by Newark police), with distracting quickie history lessons on the factors that led to the racially-charged atmosphere. Revolution ‘67 deserves credit for reminding viewers of an incident that many would prefer to forget, but the uneven pacing here makes this a somewhat disappointing documentary. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Revolution '67
(2008) 90 min. DVD: $26.95: individuals; $59.95: public libraries & high schools; $195: colleges & universities. California Newsreel. PPR. Volume 23, Issue 3
Revolution '67
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