Fruitvale Station

Dir: Ryan Coogler

2013

*****

2013's Fruitvale Station represents the first film in what I'm hoping will be a lengthy collaboration between directer Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan. It's Coogler's first feature film as director and Jordan's first real big role, and what a film it is. Based on the highly publicized killing of Oscar Grant by Police officers in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2009 on the platform of Fruitvale Station, it is a detailed reconstruction of what happened to Grant that day, a little bit of his past history and an examination into the turn of events that led to his death. Quite typically, the initial descriptions of those unlawfully killed by officers are negative. This happens around the world and isn't just an American problem. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan give a balanced representation of Oscar Grant, they lay his skeletons out for everyone to see but they also address the injustice of his death. He'd been in prison, he'd sold drugs and at times had lost his temper. There was no good reason as to why he was shot though, as these events were unconnected. He was assassinated and then his character was assassinated also, this film points out that the truth is that he was a young man who was turning his life around before it was cut short. It's not emotionally manipulative or preachy, most people know an Oscar Grant and the person they know isn't always black either. Ryan Coogler has said that he was totally against using the real footage of the killing that was taken by eye-witnesses on their mobile phones but changed his mind, stating that "I didn't want any real footage in the film. But you sometimes have to take a step back. Being from the Bay Area, I knew that footage like the back of my hand, but more people from around the world had no idea about this story. It made sense for them to see that footage and see what happened to Oscar, and I think it was a responsibility that we had to put that out there." I think it was a wise choice. The real footage and the reconstruction are almost identical, it gave me faith that Coogler hadn't mislead the audience and had kept to the facts which was vital for this film to work ethically. It's a powerful and frightening incident that raises many questions about a whole range of subjects. Such an important story, handled perfectly by all involved. A must see.