Power

"Power," the 86-minute long documentary about the history of policing in America that was written, directed and produced by Yance Ford and is currently streaming on Netflix is a thought-provoking examination of our failed systems of justice and our longstanding prejudices that merits attention. The documentary shows how policing, which began with the corraling and erasure of the indigenous on the frontier, and proceeded, even with the first police force in NYC in 1844 that arose directly as a result of the problems of immigration, to evolve as a force that curtails the powers of the oppressed and minorities in service of the white elite.

The documentary is not a "hate-the-police" show or plug, as it also features the words and efforts of caring, experienced police officers, rather, a call to think and care about the systematic oppression by authorities of the weak and underserved that has prevailed through centuries here in the name of "law and order."

Of course we need police, but the standards by which police operate, the documentary makes clear, are largely determined by police themselves, and as long as the shadow force of policing continues to exert its power unchecked in this country, we are in danger of losing our freedom and democracy.

While "Power" by Yance Ford aims to delve into the complex subject of policing, the documentary unfortunately falls short in delivering a fresh perspective. It treads familiar ground, reiterating points made by numerous films and series before it. The documentary's portrayal of the police in a persistently negative light adds to an already contentious debate, potentially overshadowing the nuanced realities of law enforcement.

A balanced approach is crucial when discussing social justice and the role of the police in society. Constructive dialogue is needed to foster understanding and reform. However, "Power" misses the opportunity to contribute positively to this conversation, instead choosing to reinforce a one-sided narrative that may hinder the progress towards a fair and effective justice system.

No pun intended - the documentary is trying to shine a light into the power police has (in the US) ... which may exceed enormously from what they were intended to have and be for the people. As a comic book hero said: with great power comes great responsibility. It is easy to paint a whole force as bad - what needs to happen is trying to root out the bad people and find a way to have people who are secure in their job and their attitude.

Because let's keep it real: it is not an easy job. But that is why you need way better training for those who want to actually become and help the people ... with the power that they hold. The movie makes a few good points, but could go deeper on others. Also this is as I already stated confined to America ... but the world is so complex you could never have done all of the police ...

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Interesting, yet it feels repetitive with the main subject it wants to explore. The topics about police corruption and abuse of power has been explored within the media for years and the documentary explores the subject with some pretty interesting insights and conversations to explain the issues and the topics. Lance Ford who created "Strong Island" was impactful and while his direction here is good, his sense of exploration and emotion feels lacking and not as strong as his previous movie.

With the movie using many archival footage, interviews and presentations, the style ends up feeling dry as it ends up feeling like the typical and basic Netflix documentary with some really odd editing choices and repetitive tone. The subject is a very serious matter which I do agree with some of the main points but I wish the documentary didn't feel as repetitive as it is.

Overall, it is a interesting story but it runs dry at the end of the day.

I see it as the film was mostly right about policing in a police brutality way, controling the lower class and minorities, but we do need to control violence/criminals.

We all should know by now Police brutality happens daily, we all should know far too many police lie and cover up for each other.

There has to be a balanced alternative.

We need to be responsible for our own behavior, EVERYONE. I don't think this film was biased as some has said.

I think we need to just keep trying to strive to do better.

Most importantly we need to get rid of the politicians who are committing crimes all the time.