Like a thunderbolt in the wake of current
events and the Black Lives Matter movement
comes this searing documentary that is one
of the most important films of the past year.
Often marginalized for their violent public
image, the Black Panthers are given a more
complex, fully realized voice here by veteran
filmmaker Stanley Nelson, who explores
the group’s grassroots community efforts
alongside the armed citizens patrols that gave
them their gun-toting reputation. Juxtaposing
archival footage, contemporary interviews
with group members, and opposing insight
from wary police officers, Nelson creates a
360-degree portrait of the Panthers. Set to a
soundtrack of electric soul and funk, this film
is a blistering look at the explosive rise and
sudden fall of a movement that is as relevant
today as it was 50 years ago.
