The Witness

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.

James Solomon phenomenally intertwines the power of sensationalism and the devastating effects of foul journalism in an emotionally heavy, eighty-nine minute masterpiece, The Witness. By allowing America to follow Bill Genovese's personal journey to seek the truth of the brutal murder of his beloved sister, Catherine "Kitty" Genovese, Solomon taps into the minds of many viewers and allows us to question something in which we, as Americans, are unconditionally susceptible to—the press. Bill Genovese does a superb job invalidating The New York Times article. By bringing the audience alongside with him as he met Kitty's friend, Sophia Farrar, as he hired an actress to reenact the death of Kitty Genovese, or as he read the letter in which Winston Moseley falsely put together lies, the audience was able to experience the roller-coaster of emotions and perceive Kitty Genovese as a person, not just an unfortunate example of Urban Apathy. This documentary will leave you realizing that there truly is two sides of a story and by simply projecting a shoddy argument, it can impact people's lives for years. The importance of engaging in sensationalism is brought to light as you see the emotional damage left to the Genovese family. Whether it be the new generations of Genovese ignorance towards their aunt, Kitty Genovese, or Kitty's siblings inability (besides Bill) to reveal the truth, The New York Times has left a mark.

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.

The Witness, seeks to explore the truth behind Kitty Genovese's murder. Despite the public story, the truth of the matter is widely unknown. As Bill Genovese, brother of Catherine "kitty" Genovese, searches for truth, he uncovers shocking details that the original New York Times failed to mention. Images of the scene, numerous interviews, and a powerful reenactment in the exact locations of the attacks painted a clearer picture of what occurred that night. Already familiar with the case, this film answered many of my questions, but managed to leave some lingering. For instance, what goes through a sociopath's head like Moseley? This emotional work was phenomenal at portraying Kitty as a vivacious human being versus a character in a tragic story. The most exceptional thing about this film was its ability to convey such strong emotions and show the importance of journalism and its influence in this case. Highly recommend.