The Rape of Recy Taylor

The story of Recy Taylor is a harsh reality that needs to be brought to light. Sadly this documentary errs on the busy side, with an ominous churning soundtrack throughout that , at times, has two types of music going on at once. The images are often rapidly switched with transitions that don't give sufficient breathing time and even the story itself seemed insufficient in the eyes of the filmmakers to stand on its own. It's a necessary story and a difficult truth but it could have used a more effective treatment through this medium.

To rate this movie as less than 10, is a true disservice to the integrity and importance of this movie's content. What happened to Recy was terrible and a shame. Therefore, we cannot continue to behave imperviously or continue in a dumb stupor just because TRUTH makes us feel a little uncomfortable. Thank you.

This was probably a good movie. However I could only understand about every other word

This is quite a slow, considered documentary on the rape of Recy Taylor using old race films, photographs, footage and evocative music to convey the times. It starts well enough, although at times it it completely overshadowed by the music (Dinah Washington' achingly haunting, This Bitter Earth) and the arty reconstructions distract. It's uneven and Recy Taylor's story is devastating enough without the documentary halfway veering into a discourse about black women's activism by some preachy white feminist scholar. Reframing the narrative through a modern perspective is more often that not, unfaithful to history. One of the most powerful images that I took away was Recy Taylor's father having to spend nights in a tree with a shotgun to guard his family after they'd gone public about the rape. It's a harrowing story but it isn't handled very well. I don't recall if they mentioned the similar gang rape of Betty Jean Owens. fifteen years later, and the different outcome, but they should have.

This was not done well. This is a powerfull true story that could have enlighten millions. Its a shame they didn't even try to make it better.