The Murder of Fred Hampton

The Murder of Fred Hampton is a 1971 documentary film about the short life and death of Fred Hampton, a young African-American civil rights activist in Chicago and leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party. During the film's production, Hampton was fatally shot on December 4, 1969 in a pre-dawn raid at his apartment by the Chicago Police Department.[2]

The Murder of Fred Hampton
Directed byHoward Alk
Produced byMike Gray
StarringFred Hampton
Rennie Davis
Edward Hanrahan
Bobby Rush
CinematographyHoward Alk
Mike Gray
Edited byHoward Alk
John Mason
Distributed byFacets Multi-Media
Chicago Film Group, MGA Inc
Release date
  • May 1971 (1971-05)[1]
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Filmmakers Howard Alk and Mike Gray, director and producer, respectively, went to Hampton's apartment, which was unsecured, and took film footage of the crime scene. This was later used to challenge news reports and police testimony about the events. They also conducted investigative reporting into his death, which is included in the film; their conclusion is expressed in the title.

Plot

The documentary is split into two parts: a portrait of Fred Hampton and an investigative report into his death in the police raid. Through re-enactments, evidence from the scene, and interviews, the documentary alleges that Hampton's death was murder, an assassination by the Chicago police.[3]

Cast

Release

The film was released in Chicago, Illinois in May 1971, but it failed to attract much attention. It had a successful festival run in Europe and opened in New York City in October 1971.[1]

Reception

In retrospective reviews in the early 21st century, Roger Ebert described the film as "less compelling as investigative journalism than as an archive of political vernacular."[4] A. H. Weiler of The New York Times called it "a disturbingly somber illustration of some of the ills that beset us and our social system."[5] Spencer Parsons of the Austin Chronicle wrote that the film's coverage of Hampton is riveting and does not shy away from controversy.[6] Noel Murray of The A.V. Club rated it B+ and called it an immersive experience and "more satisfying portrait of activism" than American Revolution 2 (1969), which Alk also directed.[7]

David Walker of DVD Talk rated it 4.5/5 stars and wrote,

"As a documentary, The Murder of Fred Hampton serves as a lasting memorial to Hampton's great legacy and tragic killing. Equally important, the film is an example of the power of independent media in providing the truth, when much of the mainstream media simply chooses to recycle the information they are given without digging beneath the surface."[8]

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See also

References
  1. Ebert, Roger (1971-10-11). "Interview with Mike Gray". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
  2. Gray, Mike. "Mike Gray - The Murder of Fred Hampton". Mike-Gray.org. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  3. "Revisiting US Domestic State Terror: The Murder of Fred Hampton". Counterpunch.org. Retrieved 02/06/10`5. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. Ebert, Roger (2008-08-21). "Looking back at 1968, through a lens". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  5. Weiler, A. H. (1971-10-05). "The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
  6. Parsons, Spencer (2007-06-08). "The Murder of Fred Hampton". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
  7. Murray, Noel (2007-06-06). "American Revolution 2 / The Murder of Fred Hampton". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
  8. Walker, David (2007-05-29). "The Murder of Fred Hampton". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
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