The Witness

This was a riveting movie from beginning to end. William Genovese embarks on a long and difficult search for clues as to what really happened to his sister Kitty back in 1964 when she was brutally murdered. As a marine losing both legs in Vietnam, you can feel his pain knowing that his buddies were there for him, but his sister apparently died alone. William slowly begins to fit together a more complete picture of what happened. I think that his honesty and lack of judgment allowed him to discover things that would probably have remained hidden for ever. What is uncovered is complex and not easily defined. What is evident, however, is that nothing can ever replace original and painstaking research. The movie is well produced and the graphic illustrations are imaginative and well placed.

The brother of Kitty Genovese investigates the circumstances of her murder and the truth of the story that dozens of locals witnessed the crime and did nothing to intervene.

This is a story I have been aware of for 20 years. I never investigated it in any detail, but had been fascinated and did hear that much of the original story as reported in the media (and subsequent textbooks) was wrong. Here, in painstaking detail, we get to the bottom of things.

Anyone who takes the time to seek out the documents, track down witnesses,and even speak with the killer's son... that deserves a commendation. This should be winning awards right and left. The fact it is a family member makes it even stronger.

"The Witness" (2015 release; 88 min.) is a documentary about the life and death of New Yorker Kitty Genovese. As the movie opens, we learn how Kitty was brutally murdered in Kew Gardens, a densely populated area of Queens and, as the New York Times then reported, how 38 witnesses watched and did nothing. Now 50 years later, Kitty's brother Bill is still bothered by many aspects of the whole thing. "The end hasn't been reached yet", he murmurs as he decides to get to the bottom of this. At that moment we're not even 10 min. into the documentary but to tell you more of how it plays out would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to watch it for yourself.

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by James Solomon, but is really driven by Bill Genovese, whose investigation we follow on screen (and who co-produced the movie). The most puzzling aspect of the entire story is how the famed NYT got this story so wrong, I mean, their reporting has holes the size of Manhattan in it! Bill also takes the opportunity to look back at Kitty, not just her death, but also her life, in which we get a couple of interesting surprises as well. All that, plus a look back at the 50s and early 60s era, make for interesting viewing, and then some.

I happen to catch this on a recent trans-Atlantic flight, and it certainly helped the time move along. If you like crime documentaries, you could to a lot worse than this.

This was so well done. It's amazing how impartial her brother was while investigating the reactions of the media, police, and ear witnesses. Revisiting the building and recreating what they heard must have been excruciating. He displayed the same courage that must have been necessary to move forward with his life after her death and the severe injuries he suffered while serving as a marine during the Vietnam war. Getting to see glimpses of her personality only magnify the loss. The Genovese family have shown a great deal of character in dealing with the hardships in their lives. Her murderer's son is more concerned with victim blaming than accepting his father's responsibility for his own actions.

The Witness is a well-directed documentary about the journey Bill Genovese embarks on to uncover the truth about the murder of Kitty Genovese that pulls on the heart strings of viewers. It features interviews with family members who reflect on their life with Kitty and witnesses who recall their experiences from the night of her murder. The Witness exposes parts of Kitty's life that you can't get from basic research and paints her as the human she was, rather than a psychology study or social figure. At times the documentary can seem a bit over dramatic but it plays in well with the topics brought up and the events that occurred. This documentary represents the effects that exaggerated and untrue journalism can have on public opinion. Although it was a little slow at parts, it captures the attention of viewers and is well worth the watch.