Fifty years after the uprising and subsequent massacre at Attica State Prison, acclaimed director Stanley Nelson brings us the definitive account of the brutal events as told by the inmates who were there. With the help of director Traci Curry, Nelson offers an unfiltered and unapologetic look at the inhumane conditions that caused the rebellion, the major players at the heart of the occupation that followed, and the carnage of its aftermath. Regardless of your stance on prison reform or inmate rights, as a human being, Attica should outrage you.
Told almost entirely through first-hand survivor accounts and a treasure trove of spectacular archival footage, Attica paints a grim picture of the American justice system – then and now. With a righteous fist in the air, the survivors recount their involvement in the uprising that took place between September 9th and 17th, 1971, and boldly do so with an inspiring lack of shame.
Nelson and Curry capture and display this half-century’s worth of anger, frustration, and no doubt lingering trauma with a combination of compassion and allyship that strips away all pretense of grandstanding or showboating, leaving us with a reassuring sense of sincerity. These men have no agenda other than the truth, and their truth is a powerful one. To watch them tell their stories unfettered from retribution is an exhilarating experience.
As with most documentaries that deal with systematic abuses levied at marginalized communities, Attica probably won’t be seen or understood by those whose minds and hearts are in the most desperate need of changing. But, even if Nelson, Curry, and the surviving inmates of the 4-day-long Attica uprising are preaching to the choir, what a mournful and commanding song it is.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.