MLK/FBI

The FBI begins spying on MLK on suspicion of communist activities and ends up spying on his sex life. It is the disease of the moral watchers. The documentary accurately narrates these espionage activities that move against the defense of human rights. Through well selected archival material, it is a necessary film to show the moral baseness of those who considered themselves protectors of moral integrity. It is the danger of a policy based on constant suspicion.

A very thorough documenting of MLK's political activism and attempts by the FBI and others to shut him down for political and ideological reasons.

Using the latest info available on him, it connects all of the dots and reveals his work to bring about equality and his frustrations with the forces who were preventing that.

This documentary tackles a very interesting part of history. It is a story I don't often see taught in school. It features a lot of big figures is U. S. History. It is the 1960's, we have J. Edgar Hoover, Lydon Johnson and of course, Martin Luther King Jr. Take those characters and put them in the U. S. 1960's setting, with the Civil Rights, Cold and Red Scare. Put all these ingredients together and you have your self a fascinating recipie.

Looking at the situation from the lense of today, it is easy to see that Hoover is acting selfishly and irrationally, but this documentary does a good job of rationalizing his actions, without justifying them.

It is also quaint to remember a time when the FBI needed wiretaps in order to listen in to American's phone calls.

Not much to say, the film does its job well. It informs its audience of an interesting story in an interesting matter.

IN BRIEF: A well made documentary about this great leader but flawed man and the FBI 's vicious attempt to discredit him.

JIM'S REVIEW: (RECOMMENDED) Sam Pollard's gripping documentary, MLK/FBI, chronicles the Civil Rights movement and the FBI's shameful discrediting of one of its leaders, the Rev. Martin Luther King, which was orchestrated by its bureau chief, J. Edgar Hoover. Having the FBI conduct surveillance of MLK with the sole purpose to humiliate and destroy his image with the public, the film uses declassified documents, archival footage, and Hollywood propaganda film to state its case. (The entire FBI tapes are slated to be available to the public in 2027, so only some documentation, photographs, and interviews are the film's basis.)

The documentary is fascinating in its thorough researching of those turbulent times during the 50's and 60's from the start of the Civil Rights protests until MLK assassination, with comments from historians about his legacy. The filmmakers try to encapsulate the unrest in our nation during those polarizing times and it confirms the governmental tactics used to wiretap its citizenry and lump MLK with the evils of communism while labeling MLK with other more military-minded Black protest groups as subversives. Call them "domestic terrorists" before that term was commonplace, but the film resonants with today's racist climate.

The documentary is not totally successful in its narrative structure and one wishes their scope was narrowed down and more concise in its storytelling and also focused more on Hoover's backstory and obsessive mission to destroy another man. Granted there is too much to comprehend as the film covers nearly two decades and most history buff would savor this retelling. But this is an important film for all to experience and its lingering message is truly thought-provoking. Most telling is the turnaround by a supportive President Lyndon Johnson and the FBI Bureau after MLK is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Indeed, politics does have strange bedfellow.

The director's sense of irony is also at play as he begins his documentary with this quote from a film clip of former President Ronald Reagan:

"In most stories, villains are usually defeated and the ending is a happy one. I can make no such promise with this picture you are about to watch. The story isn't over..."

MLK/ FBI is a noble effort by Mr. Pollard and his crew. Their film is very well constructed and edited with skill by Laura Tomaselli, making this history lesson a cautionary tale for all Americans to heed. And yes, the story isn't over! (GRADE: B)

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." MLK

It's shocking to hear in the eye-opening documentary MLK/FBI William Sullivan, the FBI's director of domestic intelligence, encourage Martin Luther King, Jr. to commit suicide. The theme of the doc is that the agency, under J Edgar Hoover's direction, from 1955.was dedicated to bringing down King and the Civil Rights Movement.

Although the animosity was known even in the 60's, the doc does a credible job showing this aggressiveness was a part of the mid-century paranoia dominated by the fear of communism and perhaps mirrored it. In this case, the agency, like Joe McCarthy, had little evidence of the subjects' undemocratic tactics but probably was motivated more by the fear of losing influence to liberal protestors or lonely anarchists.

Mixing archival footage of King parading and snippets from his famous speeches, director Sam Pollard gives a fluid narrative to otherwise discursive material. To his credit, talking heads are at a minimum as he emphasizes the growing concern that King was being targeted to go down.

That plot was notoriously supported by ample evidence of King's philandering, mainly in hours of tapes with his women, not his wife, from wiretapping to photos. The actual auditory evidence will be released in 2027, and the ballyhoo will probably be disappointing because he did his good while he was doing his bad, and the good he did for civil rights and Black people far outweighs infidelities to his estimable wife and puritanical white folk.

MLK/FBI could have profited from discussion of his influence and flaws and how the latter might have been better served by expert analysis about their importance. That he was an appetitive man, at least in regards to women, was known before this documentary; that he was a powerful player in the freedom of his own people and other repressed minorities, will redound through history.

MLK/FBI will remind you in important evidence that like JFK, MLK was destined to change a nation and lose a young life in return. I never tire of remembering true heroes.