Scottsboro: An American Tragedy
Encyclopedia
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy is a 2001 American
documentary film
directed by Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman. The film is based on one of the longest-running and most controversial courtroom pursuits of racism in American history, which led to nine black teenaged men being wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in Alabama. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
. On March 25, 1931, a train from Chattanooga, Tennessee
going through northeastern Alabama
was carrying homeless hobos and people looking for work. After the train entered Alabama, a fight started between the white hobos and a group of African-American teenagers. Subsequently, the train was stopped by an armed posse in the town of Paint Rock, Alabama
, and two white women got out making an accusation that they had been raped by nine black teenagers, the Scottsboro Boys, on the train. Despite the fact that no evidence was presented, the case was allowed to go to trial, and the Scottsboro Boys were later quickly convicted and sentenced to death. The issue was noted by the International Labor Defense, and the courtroom case received wide attention. The verdict by Alabama courts was later overturned twice by Supreme Court. After the third time the case went to trial, the charges against four of the defendants were ended, while long prison sentences remained for the other five. In 1943, on the condition that the imprisoned Scottsboro boys promised to behave well, the state of Alabama began to allow the five men to leave prison one by one. Their wounded lives after prison are also summarized in the documentary.
's series American Experience
. The title of the film is speculated by the media to have been inspired by the 1969 historian book "Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South." by Dan T. Carter.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was narrated by Andre Braugher
. It used trial transcripts and editorials which are voiced by Frances McDormand
, Stanley Tucci
, Harris Yulin
, Jeffrey DeMunn
and Daver Morrison. The film was co-produced by American Experience and Social Media Productions and distributed by Cowboy Pictures.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was released theatrically on January 19, 2001. It appeared at the New York International Documentary Festival
, the Urbanworld Film Festival and took part in the documentary competition at Sundance Film Festival
in January 2000.
, and got a score of 74 out of 100 based 8 reviews at Metacritic
, classified as "generally favorable reviews." New York Times gave the documentary positive review, as critic Elvis Mitchell considered the film a "gripping and thoughtful documentary". And according to Village Voice's critic Amy Taubin, the film "offers a compelling outline" of the trial, and the directors "adroitly shape a cohesive drama out of a complicated history." However, Taubin also criticised the actors' reading of archival texts, calling it "hammy" and "egregious".
. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was also given the Primetime Emmy Award
for Non-fiction Special.
As the writer of the documentary, Barak Goodman received the Writers Guild of America Award
in the category "Documentary - other than current events." In 2002, the Organization of American Historians
selected this film as the winner of the Erik Barnouw Award, recognizing Scottsboro: An American Tragedy as the best documentary film of the year concerned with the study of American history.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman. The film is based on one of the longest-running and most controversial courtroom pursuits of racism in American history, which led to nine black teenaged men being wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in Alabama. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
Content
The movie was based on the historic story of the Scottsboro BoysScottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial...
. On March 25, 1931, a train from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
going through northeastern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
was carrying homeless hobos and people looking for work. After the train entered Alabama, a fight started between the white hobos and a group of African-American teenagers. Subsequently, the train was stopped by an armed posse in the town of Paint Rock, Alabama
Paint Rock, Alabama
Paint Rock is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, along the Paint Rock River, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 185....
, and two white women got out making an accusation that they had been raped by nine black teenagers, the Scottsboro Boys, on the train. Despite the fact that no evidence was presented, the case was allowed to go to trial, and the Scottsboro Boys were later quickly convicted and sentenced to death. The issue was noted by the International Labor Defense, and the courtroom case received wide attention. The verdict by Alabama courts was later overturned twice by Supreme Court. After the third time the case went to trial, the charges against four of the defendants were ended, while long prison sentences remained for the other five. In 1943, on the condition that the imprisoned Scottsboro boys promised to behave well, the state of Alabama began to allow the five men to leave prison one by one. Their wounded lives after prison are also summarized in the documentary.
Production and release
Directors Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman said they were inspired to make the documentary by James Goodman's 1994 publication "Stories of Scottsboro," and understood that their film "would be reopening old wounds." Before the filmmaking, they researched for five years looking for materials concerning the courtroom pursuit. Anker and Goodman found the eyewitnesses of the event, as well as a record of courtroom photographs, trial transcripts, and archival newsreel footage kept in the Soviet Union. The research was funded by television network Public Broadcasting ServicePublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's series American Experience
American Experience
American Experience is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American history...
. The title of the film is speculated by the media to have been inspired by the 1969 historian book "Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South." by Dan T. Carter.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was narrated by Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
. It used trial transcripts and editorials which are voiced by Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996...
, Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
, Harris Yulin
Harris Yulin
Harris Yulin is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of Hollywood and television films.-Life and career:Yulin was born in...
, Jeffrey DeMunn
Jeffrey DeMunn
Jeffrey DeMunn is an American theatre, film and television actor.-Life and career:DeMunn was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Violet and James DeMunn. Stepson of noted actress Betty Lutes DeMunn...
and Daver Morrison. The film was co-produced by American Experience and Social Media Productions and distributed by Cowboy Pictures.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was released theatrically on January 19, 2001. It appeared at the New York International Documentary Festival
New York International Documentary Festival
The New York International Documentary Festival is an annual documentary film festival held in New York City. It was established as both a forum for the exchange of ideas among documentary filmmakers and a place where audiences would be exposed to both successful and little-known documentaries...
, the Urbanworld Film Festival and took part in the documentary competition at Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2000.
Box office
The documentary earned $2,991 in its opening weekend and went on to gross $6,123 domestically in one week.Critical reaction
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy received positive reviews from critics. The film was rated 4 stars at TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, and got a score of 74 out of 100 based 8 reviews at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, classified as "generally favorable reviews." New York Times gave the documentary positive review, as critic Elvis Mitchell considered the film a "gripping and thoughtful documentary". And according to Village Voice's critic Amy Taubin, the film "offers a compelling outline" of the trial, and the directors "adroitly shape a cohesive drama out of a complicated history." However, Taubin also criticised the actors' reading of archival texts, calling it "hammy" and "egregious".
Nominations and awards
The documentary was nominated for the 2000 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It was chosen as the Best Documentary at the Urbanworld Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at New York International Documentary FestivalNew York International Documentary Festival
The New York International Documentary Festival is an annual documentary film festival held in New York City. It was established as both a forum for the exchange of ideas among documentary filmmakers and a place where audiences would be exposed to both successful and little-known documentaries...
. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was also given the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Non-fiction Special.
As the writer of the documentary, Barak Goodman received the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in the category "Documentary - other than current events." In 2002, the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
selected this film as the winner of the Erik Barnouw Award, recognizing Scottsboro: An American Tragedy as the best documentary film of the year concerned with the study of American history.
External links
- Official website
- Scottsboro: An American Tragedy at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Scottsboro: An American Tragedy at Box Office MojoBox Office MojoBox Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
- Scottsboro: An American Tragedy at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...