Hold Your Fire

In a world where the phrase "Hold your fire!" is more commonly associated with video games than real-life crisis negotiation, "Hold Your Fire" (2021) emerges as a thrilling, if not slightly anxiety-inducing, documentary that demands your attention. The film delves into the heart of a 1973 Brooklyn standoff, turning what could have been a dry historical recount into a nail-biting cinematic experience. Through a series of interviews, archival footage, and a suspenseful soundtrack that could make even a trip to the grocery store feel like a covert operation, this documentary manages to be both enlightening and entertaining.

What sets "Hold Your Fire" apart is its uncanny ability to humanize the perpetrators. The filmmakers somehow transform a tense hostage situation into the backdrop for moments of unexpected humor and profound insight. It's like watching a high-stakes chess match where the pieces occasionally crack jokes. The blend of tension and levity is so well-executed, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, popcorn forgotten, as you oscillate between laughter and gasps. The documentary doesn't just explore the negotiation; it dives into the psychology of its subjects with the precision of a cat burglar navigating a laser maze.

The only reason I'm withholding that last half-star is because, let's be honest, no film is perfect. There were moments when the pacing felt like it was on a caffeine break, slowing down just when you wanted more action. However, these moments are few and far between, and they give you a much-needed chance to catch your breath. "Hold Your Fire" is a masterclass in documentary filmmaking, blending historical significance with human emotion and a sprinkle of humor. It's the kind of film that not only educates but entertains, leaving you slightly more informed and a whole lot more paranoid about ever being in a standoff situation. Highly recommended for history buffs, documentary enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates the art of negotiation - or just needs a good laugh and a dose of adrenaline.

Dog Day Afternoon and The French Connection and many other movies of the late sixties and early seventies painted a picture of rogue New York City cops, who were eager to kill.

This documentary portrays the TWO sides of a hostage situation, wherein a group of African-American youngsters got stuck between a rock and a hard place, when they tried to rob a gun store, but found themselves surrounded by hundreds of cops and didnt dare to come out afraid of being killed on the spot.

In the mayhem of the hostage situation that ensued, in which a cop got killed, the cops wanted to storm the store with a tank.

A psychologist police officer persuaded the head of police to TALK to the criminals inside, because TALKING CAN BE MORE POWERFUL IN PERSUASION THAN A GUN (or a tank). Yes sir, indeed...

A brilliant detailed and intimate portrait of all the people involved (criminals, police, hostages) in that 2 day long standoff between police and hostage takers.

I am impressed. Fascinating portrait of another era. Chilling lesson.

Both sides of the story are told here. But; there is way more sympathy given to the hostage takers than there should be, and alot of "poor me" and bemoaning that mostly goes unchecked by the filmmakers. The store owner is the most compelling voice of this narrative (no, not Dr Harvey), and for me, he was the moral compass of this story. The footage is interesting for sure, but you can tell the filmmakers feel more sympathy for the hostage takers, and lean heavily on ill supported racism claims. It's not about race; it's about pointing guns in peoples faces, committing crimes, and owning up to those crimes-bad guys are bad guys. Don't pander.

This well-paced documentary brings the story of "the birthplace of hostage negotiation" to life in a way that is compelling, nerve-wracking and thought-provoking. Told strictly in the words of those involved, it colorfully depicts an intense two-day standoff in 1973 between NYC police and four young African American men who hold up a sporting good store in an attempt to obtain guns, ironically for self-protection. Things go wrong and a hostage crisis ensues. By interviewing participants from all sides, the film drives deeply into mindsets and attitudes, gradually opens into broader ideas behind conflict resolution, and ultimately builds a strong argument for understanding and empathy in a world fraught with enmity.

"Hold Your Fire"

Brooklyn, 1973. When Shu'aib Raheem and his friends attempted to steal guns for self-defense, it sparked the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. NYPD psychologist Harvey Schlossberg fought to avert a bloodbath, reform police methods, and save the lives of hostages, police, and the four young Muslim men at the heart of the conflict. The documentary is as tense as any New York thriller Sidney Lumet might have directed. Revisiting a landmark crime from the Brooklyn of 1973, he brings history vividly alive with the testimonies of those originally caught in the crossfire. It's the story of a botched robbery, a murdered policeman, a media scrum and a hostage situation that seemed unlikely to end well. The film creates a Rashomon-style narrative, challenging lazy assertions and revealing deep-rooted prejudices.

Shu'aib Raheem works as a Trauma Support Consultant. He previously served as the Program Coordinator for the Brownsville Arches Transformative Mentoring Program for criminal justice-involved children and families. He's the founder of the Jawala Scouts Leardership Training Program. He currently serves on the board of The Fortune Society. Harvey Schlossberg is an NYPD officer, Freudian psychoanalyst, and the founder of modern crisis negotiation. He founded the Psychological Services department in the NYPD, where he pioneered treatment for violence-prone police. In the Handbook of Police Psychology, Schlossberg is called a 'father of modern police psychology' for his role in changing the tactics police employed in hostage situations.

When we first learned about Harvey Schlossberg we were amazed to discover a maverick, pacifist, intellectual cop with a Ph. D. in psychology teaching radical empathy to the police. Harvey played a key role in the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. It took place in 1973 Brooklyn, the home of French Connection, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. We discover that this harrowing ordeal is the origin story of modern hostage negotiation, and that Schlossberg's teachings provide hope for repairing America's broken methods of policing. Throughout the killings of Michael Brown, Ahmed Arbery, Brionna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others, we dismayed to learn that most policemen aren't trained in Harvey's defuse and de-escalate approach. This has to change. America tends to glorify macho guys adept at violence, such as heavyweight boxers and Special Forces Ops.

We'd like to glorify a 99-pound intellectual police psychologist who upended traditional notions of masculinity and police use of violence. In the words of NYPD Captain Al Baker, who was initially skeptical of Schlossberg. It was a revolutionary. We started to transcend street justice. It's an internal strength, the opposite of the eternal, explosive strength. That's true manhood. Violence is a weakness. There are challenging and disturbing interviews in "Hold Your Fire". They help spark the messy, difficult, and honest discussions America needs to have around policing and criminal justice. We've come to think of our nation as a dysfunctional family, full of love and compassion along with conflict, trauma, false narratives and toxic denial. As the spectre of coming political violence looms over America, can we hold this family together? Can we follow Harvey's lead and listen deeply to each other even as we strongly disagree? Can we absorb the truth that violence is a weakness and learn to hold our fire? The future of our multicultural democracy may well depend on it.

Written by Gregory Mann.