User reviews

Watching a 7.5-hour long documentary about a case we all think we know may seem a daunting task at first, but trust me: you'll have a very hard time to resist the urge to binge watch the whole mini series once you've started. This documentary (which to me felt like a seven-and-a-half-hour feature film) is - in my humble opinion - one of the greatest achievements in American filmmaking and utterly captivating from the beginning to the end.

Where the equally brilliant but fictional series 'The Wire' took the topic of crime as a means to cast a look at all aspects and social layers of a whole city (Baltimore), 'O.J.: Made in America' examines the life and crimes of a single man (albeit one leading a very public life) to cast a very close look at American society as a whole, and the result is the most complete, in-depth analysis of the divided nation's collective psyche I have ever seen.

The portrait that emerges is so fascinating and so revealing and educational (and I hate to admit: thrillingly entertaining) that I believe this should be recommended viewing in schools and colleges across the country. And if you think: "Meh, I know that story, it's been all over the news - not interested", think again. Trust me, you do not know this story (or better: these stories). And there's a big chance you'll understand a great deal more about America once you've finished watching this masterpiece.

I know I'm dishing out superlatives here, but it's like director Ezra Edelman made the ultimate documentary - perhaps even the ultimate film. 'O.J.: Made in America' functions on so many levels; it's like watching a whole collection of films where the same protagonist inexplicably lives through a wide array of very different stories (which somehow STILL manage to end up as ONE cohesive tale). Just to give you an impression how rich this documentary is, I tried to count the stories and most dominant themes and found at least 10 (although you could probably find more):

1. There's the fascinating story of a poor kid from the ghetto rising through sheer will and enormous talent to become an American icon and superstar.

2. There's a great - and uplifting - sport story (especially for Football fans) that is usually the material of Hollywood films.

3. There's the very human drama of a genuine love story turning into an abusive relationship plagued by domestic violence.

4. There's the mesmerizing and shocking murder mystery;

5. the thrilling courtroom drama;

6. a razor-sharp satire about our and our media's unhealthy fixation on celebrities;

7. an unbelievable, surreal story of a nationwide man-hunt that gives Spielberg's 'Sugarland Express' a run for its money;

8. a close examination of the U.S. judicial system;

9. the story of the rise and the very, very steep fall of a man who had it all and lost everything;

10. an eye-opening story about race relations in America over the past 50 years

And as incredible as it may seem, those stories are all real.

The way Edelman managed to put them all together to forge this groundbreaking documentary can't be praised enough. A unique experience. 10 stars out of 10.

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Well is it the final chapter? I seriously doubt it. We all must have seen numerous documentaries about OJ and what happened or didn't happen and we all have our own version of what we think happened. Some older people (like me) may remember watching this as it happened and some may have caught up after the fact but it's still a fascinating watch.

This is as comprehensive as it gets, and at seven and a half hours does cover it very comprehensively. I did it in three instalments and never got bored on any occasion. It was factual, with actual footage of the trail, and is updated with commentary provided by many who were involved.

I'm not gonna take sides and slam or praise anyone but be assured, you will. No matter how you think things went down you will have a good guy and bad guy scenario and like me you will become a little louder than normal.

Well worth a watch even though it takes a while.

There are many documentaries out there- particularly on Netflix- that are just far too long. I can understand why, because owing to the way streaming services work, it's surely tempting to extend a documentary beyond the standard two-ish hours into a multi-part 6-10 hour miniseries, because that keeps viewers hooked into whatever service they're subscribed to. In all honesty, I'm personally a little tired of this approach, particularly because I think most subjects can be thoroughly explored within the length of a movie, if the director and editor and everyone else involved know what they're doing.

This naturally made me very cautious to watch OJ: Made In America, despite how critically acclaimed it was. While it was released in a very limited theatrical release- and won an Oscar for Best Documentary before the Academy changed their rules to disqualify lengthy works broken into parts- it did look to me like it would be another true crime miniseries that would draw itself out longer than necessary. Furthermore, I was worried it would be tacky and disrespectful the way many documentary miniseries are; if you're teasing and using real life tragic events as cliffhangers or hooks for viewers, for example, I think that's pretty twisted.

Thankfully, OJ: Made In America managed to transcend all of its similar contemporaries. This is miles better than something like Making A Murderer or any other show trying to chase its success; it goes in depth and uses its incredibly long runtime to tell a huge story and cover many, many topics in gripping and compelling detail. It's much more than a story about the double murder that OJ Simpson was accused of committing, and it's even more than just a documentary about OJ Simpson. The hint's in the title: it uses the story of Simpson to tell a huge, almost epic story about crime, race relations, and societal conflict throughout the last few decades of history.

It's hard to unpack everything, but you will find something interesting and intensely thought provoking within this documentary. It's not so much about trying to prove whether Simpson committed the crime or not, and moreso just giving as many points of view, opinions, and insights as possible. It's superbly edited, and flows in a way where despite all the information, you never get lost or confused. And furthermore, despite the risk of information overload, you never really get bored either. Despite watching this in chunks, I could have happily digested the entire seven and a half hours in one sitting, and if I ever rewatch it one day maybe I will view it in that way.

It's hard to come up with too many flaws. I'm conflicted over the use of graphic crime scene and autopsy photos in Part 4 of the documentary- some viewers may not understand the intensity and viciousness of the murder with verbal descriptions alone, but I feel like some people are appropriately disturbed with just picturing the aftermath in their head, and for those people, seeing the images themselves may feel like overkill. As such, I understand why those photos were included, but personally don't feel like I needed to be exposed to them. And I mean, could it have been six and a half hours instead of seven and a half? It's almost silly to think about that as a flaw, so I'm not sure it is, but at the same time... maybe it could've got more or less the same thing across?

I guess I'm struggling to think of flaws, or justify why I got this to 9/10 but not 10/10. On a rewatch, I may realise that this is about as good as documentaries can get, and raise the rating. For now, I can say that it's truly excellent and among the best documentaries I've ever seen, regardless of whether you choose to watch it as a miniseries or an extremely long feature.

Regardless of your thoughts on OJ Simpson and the infamous court case he was involved in, you will find things to appreciate, fixate on, and ponder throughout this incredibly impressive and borderline 'epic' documentary.

This is one of the best documentaries i have ever seen. After recently watching the "not as good" "The People vs OJ Simpson" with John Travolta and Cuba Gooding Jr. This documentary was definitely a breath of fresh air.

The depth of it, the attention to all the details, the interviews, the massive amount of research that has gone into it. It is massive, to make this documentary is a tremendous undertaking, and is nothing but outstanding. It manages to keep you nailed to your seat for almost 8 hours, you sit and watch as you shake your head in disbelief. This documentary is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Even though most of us have heard about this story time and time again, and made up our minds years ago, the documentary gives you a new fresh look at things, you start from the very beginning. We follow OJ all the way back to when he started to become noticed as a good football player, and we follow him all the way to his fall from the top of the mountain.

The documentary does not take sides, which would be a terrible decision for any director to pursue, so after you have seen it, you have the ability to make up your own mind. Did OJ do it? Or did he not? I was never in doubt he was guilty of killing his wife and her friend, and this documentary didn't strengthen my opinion or weaken it, but it made me feel so sorry for Nicole Simpson and what she had been through, it is truly heartbreaking. I sit her and feel i wish i could go back in time and save her.

All the beatings, the abuse and the terror she had to endure through the years, she was the mother of his children, and was slaughtered as a pig, left to bleed out alongside her friend who were also bleeding out. And the guy who did it, got away free with murder. Horrible, just horrible.

The documentary does not filter this by censuring crime scene photos, no it shows them in close ups. To see what rage a person must have felt the moment he slices a woman's throat right in to her neck while she is still alive.

Now this is graphic, it is, but i think the documentary does it right by showing this to us. This is about the trial of the century, where a famous man faces the most famous justice system in the world. Will this justice system judge him based on the evidence?. Well most of us already know the outcome.

But why did this end the way it did?. There are details we have never seen or heard before, there are people that has not been able to speak out properly, this documentary has gathered key people from OJ's life all the way back to his childhood, and it builds an image of him, detailed, slowly, but never boring, it shows us who OJ really was, and how he became that way.

All the years after the murder of his wife, and OJ did nothing to find "the real killer". He was laughing and dancing, he had custody of his children, he lived a good life in a very nice house, and lived the dream as most others can't even dream of.

Watching all these clips of him, doing all this, and celebrating life as it was himself that was the god of it all, made me feel deeply sad for Nicole. If only someone had prevented this, if only someone could have done something.

I can never get those images of Nicole and Ron's crime scene photos out of my head. But i had to see them to feel how i do now.

Amazing documentary, highly recommended, both for those who know about the case and followed it, and for those who know nothing about it. See it, learn from it, and take in that this can actually happen.

My verdict is : 10/10

Greetings from Lithuania.

"O.J.: Made in America" (2016) was without a doubt one of the very best documentaries I've ever seen, maybe even actually the best one - and i saw a few to say the least.

Although i do not live in America, i knew about some of these events before seen "O.J.: Made in America" (2016). It did not surprise me that at the end of this amazing documentary i end up almost seemingly seen a chapter from America's history, because it took for this series almost 8 hours to do it. What i was surprised about is that i couldn't imagine at the beginning that it was going to be done so convincingly great and crystal clear.

"O.J.: Made in America" features 5 episodes that all runs for almost 8 hours. But let this not scare you if kinda thinking to see it - i can't remember when the last time i was so absorb when watching a documentary.

"O.J" himself is shown here at center of events. Basically it is a biopic about his life, but at the same time if features events in Los Angeles that were surrounding him before and at the time of his (in)famous case. And all of this was shown in a very crystal clear fashion - i literally couldn't put this series down until its final frame.

Overall, "O.J.: Made in America" is magnificent look at the America's history. At the center of the event is "O.J." himself and its a fascinating look at the true American tragedy as one person puts it. Definitely one of the very, very best documentaries ever made.

A detailed view of the life of the infamous O.J. Simpson starting with his NFL carrier and his rise to an American icon to his downfall caused by one night in 1994. An excellent documentary series executed to perfection.

I have been very impressed with the scope and quality of this much anticipated documentary. While I enjoyed the inaugural season of American Crime Story with O.J. Simpson as its subject, it was a) a dramatization, and b) solely focused on the infamous murder case. This documentary, on the other hand takes us back to OJ's junior college days and examines, as its title suggests, what made O.J. Simpson the man he became. Seeing the rise of Simpson's football stardom put in context of the turbulent times during his days at USC was eye- opening. Using a bounty of old footage and interviews, we are shown the single-mindedness and sense of purpose that drove O.J. from the earliest days of his career and his complete disconnect from the racial tensions and the equal rights movement going on around him - perhaps, tellingly so. The filmmakers also do an amazing job of examining the people, the events and circumstances in the Los Angeles community which led an atmosphere in the city that undeniably had an impact on the investigation, the trial and the verdict in what has rightly been called the trial of the century.

ESPN tackles the subject of O.J. Simpson in an in-depth documentary start from his football career to his L.A. life to the trial and finally his conviction in a different case. After the compelling American Crime Story, this is a great way to provide the context. This is not simply a sports doc or a doc about the trial. This digs into the pervasive racism in the LAPD and the history of race conflicts in the area. It's also very in-depth in its examination of O.J.'s personality. This doc lays it all out very well. The trial itself is less in-depth but it's interesting in a couple of ways. There are two of the jurors as well as a harrowing explanation and pictures of the crime scene. They really bring out more reality out of the trial. This fills out everything surrounding the case. The ACS is a fun pseudo-reality drama. This doc is great at filling out the actual reality.

Made in America, though lengthy, is far more compelling than the recent biopic with the egregiously miscast Cuba Gooding. My issue with this documentary is the constant hammering-ad nauseum- on the viewer with the racial background; the Watts riot, Rodney King, the LAPD, etc. OJ was a charismatic black superstar who chose to live in a white world with a blonde wife and almost exclusively white friends. Certainly not a crime but, and this is now forgotten, he was much criticised for this by the black community. A race martyr, he wasn't.

I live in LA a few miles from the Bundy crime scene and my brother-in-law used to play tennis with OJ's buddy, Al Cowlings. I ran into Al at a local market a few days after the Bronco chase. I didn't crank up the courage to ask him if OJ 'did it'. The most salient recollection was my right hand disappearing into his huge mitt when we shook hands.

A blistering and engrossing documentary about the O.J. Simpson murder trial that explores how the sensational event became a symbol for the racial tension that was just waiting to boil over in Los Angeles in particular and the United States in general.

I was in college when the O.J. story happened, and I only half paid attention to it at the time, so it was fascinating for me to watch this film that seemed like a new version of an old story. The film makes no attempt to hide the filmmakers' opinion that the innocent verdict in the case was a gross miscarriage of justice, but I have to admit that, though I've always believed O.J. was guilty too, I would probably have acquitted him myself as a juror based on the dismal way the prosecution handled the case.

But the grossest outrage about the whole event -- I felt it at the time and I felt it again watching the movie -- is that the murders that made the whole trial necessary in the first place were forgotten amid the racial baiting and the defense's willingness to capitalize on the emotions of an angry and disenfranchised black community.

A seven-hour documentary may sound daunting at the beginning, but I challenge you not to binge watch it.

Winner of the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, a complete no brainer of a win.

Grade: A

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

O.J. Simpson had it all: fame, fortune and adoration by millions of fans, a sporting icon on a par with Muhammed Ali or Joe Frazier. He had travelled from the ghetto to the open arms of Los Angeles, where his prowess on the football field amazed everyone, playing a big part in winning the UCLA 1967 football tournament. He broke through the racial divide of the time, and was accepted into the predominantly white society, taking him away from the troubles and upheavals that the majority of African Americans were caught up in in America at the time. Whilst Ali took a stand by refusing to fight in Vietnam, and two black American athletes were sent home for making a black power gesture, he soaked up the celebrity lifestyle, detaching himself completely. As his football career drew to a close, he began a relationship with white waitress Nicole Brown, after his first marriage had collapsed, which got everyone talking, but masked a volatile and destructive home life, which would result in a double homicide.

And so began the 'trial of the century', with a massive sports icon on trial. But the very thing that O.J. had ignored on his way up, would be the very thing that saved him on his way down. In the late 80s and early 90s, L.A. was once again in the grip of a massive race war, with the African American community getting caught up in various episodes of excessive force from the police and instances of individual injustice, culminating in the acquittal of several white police officers in the heavy beating of Rodney King. With a heavy blow, the predominantly black jury swung their revenge, and O.J. was set free. But afterwards, his life descended into a tawdry, degrading mess, where he ended up finding himself caught up in a robbery at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room that did result in his incarceration.

I still feel too young to be having distant memories, but the trial of O.J. Simpson is one thing I do remember from far back during the summer of 1995, while I was on holiday in Florida as an eleven year old kid, to his earth shattering acquittal when I was back on these shores. Even at such a young age, I, like many others, was astonished at his getting freed when all the evidence quite clearly pointed to his guilt, but this served to highlight the mind blowing power of money and celebrity, and the incredulous fortunes it can afford you. With such a dark cloud hanging over his head, Simpson has never been allowed to fade into the background, popping up here and there as a point of interest. Filmmaker Ezra Edelman has produced this ultra thorough, in-depth dissection of the man, through his calculated rise to the top as a member of an oppressed community, through to the false image of a devoted husband despite the turbulent home life, and his worrying lack of emotion after Nicole's death.

Even in the days when epic, large scale productions were the norm, seven and a half hours would have been a massive ask for anyone, so it's best if you prepare yourself in advance and strap yourself in for the course, but luckily it's all broken into three parts, and the payoff is an absorbing, thoroughly engrossing production, that leaves absolutely no stone unturned and leaves you feeling as though you've been on a journey in film like absolutely nothing else you've seen before. *****

As a child of the early 90's, growing up I was aware of OJ Simpson and the trial of the century, in as much as you learn to vividly recall seeing images of a glove that doesn't fit but what I most surely wasn't aware of was the backstory behind what made Orenthal James "Juice" Simpson the figure he was and the landscape in America that was surrounding him at the time of his trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and unfortunate bystander Ron Goldman.

An exhaustive 7 hour documentary commissioned by ESPN films and the winner of this year's Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards, Ezra Edelman's layered and insightful examination of OJ Simpson from his rise to a football god to a washed up party animal that is now still serving time for armed robbery and kidnapping, is all anyone would ever need to get a fully-fledged rundown of the history behind one of America's greatest icon's spectacular fall from grace.

While the story of OJ from a sporting star and a culture crossing media sensation right through to his days suited up in court would be enough to cover countless hours of fascinating viewing, one of the most impressive feats of Edelman's documentary is the way in which he incorporates various other components into his film to give context to what was laying behind the scenes of OJ's superstardom and the time when he was under the watchful eye of America and the world, as his trial made its way into people's lounge rooms across the globe.

Its truly fascinating getting glimpses into OJ's early life as he transcended race to become a favourite of American's, both white and black and Edelman's carefully constructed examination of the racial tension and history behind animosity between the police force in the USA (within Los Angeles in particular) and the black community ended up influencing and increasing the publics fierce following of the OJ trial.

It's likely there will never be a sporting star like Simpson or a celebrity that had such universal pulling power over a huge collection of fans and races and it's surely safe to say that there would never be a case like the Simpson case, which makes looking back on it all these years on as intense as it ever was. These facts make Edelman's documentary (really a mini-series) a must watch for those both new to the case like me or for those that remember not only the Juice as an on field deity, but a man brought down from the highest highs to the lowest of lows.

Final Say –

O.J: Made in America is an absolute must watch. You need not be either a sports fan or an OJ acolyte to be pulled in and captivated by Edelman's extensively researched and carefully put together product, that acts as not only an essential look at OJ's life and trial but also a heartbreaking look at how the mighty can fall from great heights with a resounding crash.

5 Heisman Trophy's out of 5

(RATING: ☆☆☆☆½ out of 5)

THIS FILM IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: A compelling documentary that focuses on a city on fire and the "Trial of the Century".

GRADE: B+

SYNOPSIS: The O.J. Simpson trial and the many factors influencing the verdict and its aftermath.

JIM'S REVIEW: There is a fascinating 7½ hour documentary that premiered on ABC and ESPN television stations this past week and is currently streaming which is worth your attention. O.J.: Made in America may be overly long and in some need of judicious editing in parts, but it is a fascinating in-depth look back at the "Trial of the Century" and its repercussions that are relevant today.

The brutal murder of Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown and her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994 immediately made headlines and spawned a media circus, showing the incompetent handling of the case by the LAPD and District Attorney's office, and the unethical maneuverings of the prosecuting team, led by Robert Shapiro and Johnnie Cochran, to free their client and exploit the legal system.

Documentarian Ezra Edelman culled over hours of archival footage, news segments, and interviews (both then and now) to create a timely chronicle of the O.J. Simpson trial and the political unrest of a racially-divided city. He delves into the numerous 911 calls prior to the murder and Nicole's personal diary with many passages about the physical abused she suffered in her marriage to this volatile celebrity. Mr. Edelman astutely assembles new interviews with many of the people involved with the case which brings us access to observe a broken judicial system in retrospect.

The documentary shares a balanced look at the man and equally at the era. It begins with a before-and-after approach, first showing this famous incarcerated man and providing flashbacks depicting an up-and-coming young college athlete beginning his exulted career. The effect is startling. Seeing O.J. in his prime sheds new light of the man and his later fall from grace. We learn about his homophobia toward his gay estranged father, his gift for talking himself out of situations at an early age (which may have given him a false sense of security throughout his life), his lack of involvement with Civil Right issues, his innate kindness to his teammates, and the tragic death of his daughter which ended his first marriage, events that were unknown to this reviewer. We also hear of O.J's constant womanizing, his insatiable ego, his life cavorting with the rich and famous of Brentwood, his sexist and privileged attitude, and his intense jealousy and violence toward his second wife that went unheeded. Fame and wealth brought him the good life and finally corrupted the man.

But the other character in this multi-faceted tragedy is L.A. itself and the racism and injustice by the police force. Mr. Edelman's need to parallel these two tangents with the murder trial itself to make his film more complete is noteworthy, but it also gives his documentary too much latitude into this area. The film meanders into the prejudice and hate that was so rampant at the time, with the Watts riots, the Rodney King beating, and the senseless murders of African- Americans in the hands of the LAPD as the backdrop to the subsequent trial. Perhaps too much time is spent on this topic (and the famous Bronco chase) which is overstated but essential filler. Here is an accused man who erased race from his own life only to rely on it later for his freedom. That is just one irony among many. (Another is Simpson's ability to pay for his legal defense via selling autographed sports memorabilia when still being incarcerated for these murders.)

The numerous interviews and comments with former friends and colleagues are enlightening and seeing the actual cast of characters that played their parts in the trial is riveting. Particularly memorable are the words of attorney Marcia Clark, a still grieving Fred Goldman, former head D.A. Gil Garcetti, prosecuting lawyer Carl Douglas, detectives Tom Lange and Mark Fuhrman, and former friends Robin Greer, Ron Shipp, and Joe Bell. Their personal knowledge adds important details to this complicated story.

Probably the most interesting aspect about the film is the mixed emotions and personal biases felt by the jurors. (Deliberations of the verdict lasted a few hours with one member, a former Black Panther, saluting the plaintiff upon exiting the jury box.) That, and the questionable decisions handed down by the judge, Lance Ito, throughout the trial helped the prosecution play their successful "race card". Unable to see certain evidence (O.J. prior violent activities, the 911 calls, the graphic blood scene photos, the direct DNA blood connection), and falling for the grandstanding antics of that bloodied glove and a pre-staged jury's visit to Simpson's home completely changed for maximum African-American emphasis, the outcome seemed like a sure acquittal from the start. (That latter stunt by the prosecution team alone would have created a mistrial today.) O.J. may have been found not guilty, (no spoiler here), but the LAPD and their botched investigation were the ones really on trial.

O.J.: Made in America is a powerful documentary and one of the year's best films. (One would hope that it would qualify for Academy Award consideration next year, although it eluded any theatrical release as yet.) The film depicts an America filled with racial hate and anger. It shines a spotlight on domestic abuse issues. It highlights our fascination with celebrity worship and a willingness to give free rein to the lifestyle of the rich and famous while two innocent people receive no sign of justice. Mr. Edelman's epic achievement may give these victims their dues and finally a bit of justice as well.

At the time, I didn't understand the fascination with the O.J. Simpson trial. I remember the weird slow-speed police chase of the bronco, which was so peculiar that I couldn't stop watching, but after that I never watched the trial, or read news of the trial, because I barely new who Simpson was and I thought of it as just some salacious celebrity murder case. I had no doubt Simpson was guilty - I mean, he'd gone on the run and been chased down by the cops! - but I didn't have any interest in the process of his being convicted, didn't care about Kato Kaelin or Judge Ito, or any of that.

Then he got off, and it turned out that the case was a huge one about the shocking difference in how white and black America saw U.S. justice.

This documentary puts that trial in context. First, it explains why Simpson was so beloved, portraying his phenomenal sports success and his subsequent celebrity career. It also puts the trial in the context both of the Rodney King beating and of a case I'd never heard of where an Asian woman got no jail time for shooting a black girl in the back of the head.

For white people like me, this was a simple case of a celebrity who savagely murdered his ex. But viewed through the lens of a justice system that seemed built entirely for white people, the trial was something else entirely, and Simpson's pricey lawyers took advantage of that.

The full story of Simpson, from his glory days to his final fall, is like a Shakespeare tragedy, with a shining hero undone by his own darkness. It can also be seen as the story of a cold-stone psychopath who was given a pass for continually beating his wife simply because he was a celebrity with a winning smile.

An excellent documentary, and also a perfect companion piece for the recent TV miniseries, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: An American Crime Story. Between the two, I have now learned a great deal about a case I had no interest in while it was happening.

Why make a documentary like this that's in five parts and totals out to 7 1/2 hours? I suspect that in a way seeing the film now at the end of 2016 this takes on another tone altogether and is still painfully relevant in a lot of ways. But to say it first, here is an absolutely unexpected and surprisingly deep question to ponder, which I think 'Made in America' does especially: is there any empathy, let alone sympathy, for Simpson? Empathy may be the tougher one to call, at least for me (frankly as a white guy who hasn't done s*** in his life relatively to the man once called 'Juice' with total love). What this does accomplish, however, is to put Simpson into such a grand context of this *entire nation*, what it means to be black in America but also, more maybe more especially, to be something of a GOD to people. In other words, what transcends getting your ass beaten by the cops ala Rodney King?

This is a very long series but nearly ever moment is worth it for the question about how to reconcile the fact that so many, many African Americans were so happy when Simpson was acquitted of murder. This isn't even the central question though, at least as far as I can tell. If there is one it's this: what do people truly *see* in another person, as far as an issue or a moment in the media goes? Simpson had many moments as a star athlete in college at USC and then as a player for the Buffalo Bills. But I think if his career had ended there, if he had only been *OK* as a football player, America overall, the media and the public around the circus created, wouldn't have paid as much attention. OJ, through his own dogged perseverance and (certainly for the time) likability, got into commercials and acting jobs. He loved playing golf and being of the upper class community of Brentwood with its mansions and pools and god knows what else. An image was created and, in a sense, this image carried him into white America (and while black America surely loved him still, I'm saying pre-murders, it was the white America that counted actually, and which he sought out more, i.e. his coveted picture with J Edgar Hoover).

Meanwhile, director Ezra Edelman is building in the first two segments of this doc, for nearly three hours, the story of racial tensions in Los Angeles especially - the Watts riots and Rodney King and the 92 riots, of course, but also little heard stories like a woman who's house was practically destroyed by rabid (white) cops, and then a teenage girl shot by a Korean shopkeeper who got a slap on the wrist - contrasted with OJ's rise and then his shocking marriage to Nicole Brown. I think it's important that, not unlike the Murphy FX series, Edelman surely shows and acknowledges what people still think - hey, here's a BLACK man with a WHITE woman - but it's deeper than that, and about what it means to be an abusive man to a woman, any woman (Simpson's first wife/kids is mostly put to the wayside, I may have wanted to know more but maybe there's still only so much to get to in all this time), and this issue of male dominance and Simpson basically creating a Lifetime movie of his own making is contrasted with what was really going on with black America and the dreaded LAPD.

The meat of the series is of course parts 3 and 4 which focus on the trial (one thing I appreciated by the way that this did that Murphy's show oddly left out was showing Simpson as being really a part of his defense, cunning actually, in what he showed and didn't on camera and what he conspired with his attorneys to do). But these first two parts are crucial and significant to setting up what comes after: how the public saw OJ; how the people actually killed, Ron and Nicole, were almost put by the wayside once the race card kicked in; how the prosecution, led by a tough-as-nails Marcia Clark went in thinking she had a fairly simple case, only for this to be knocked down by a) a jury that might not be the smartest (regardless of race) or able to discern BS when presented, and b) a defense team unassuaged at presenting BS (or seizing on slip-ups like the glove) at any given point. What is meant to be something that anyone with critical thinking skills could grasp is taken and distorted before your very eyes and then... the WTF (for half of the country) decision is reached. Oh, and the rich guy fools everyone and gets away with it. ... sound familiar?

The point is, I think that why Made in America is so striking is because, frankly and sadly, America hasn't gotten over the race issues that plagued us before (how many blacks have been killed by cops over the past several years with the cops walking away, visa-vi King), nor its obsession with fame (the Kardashians and the start of their reality show is a nice ironic/coincidence moment). And the filmmaker tells all of this with such a deft grasp of what interviews to use and gets so deep into parts unexpected (i.e. Mark Furman). It's a staggering document of the American experience, of what happens when perhaps the commandment we're told about is broken not with murder or adultery, but of worshiping false idols. Simpson was genuine for a short time, certainly about himself ("I'm not black, I'm OJ!" was his common refrain), but ultimately he worshipped himself, and paid the price.

Sure you can say its too long. But its this long because it NEEDS to be this long. Other films, such as The Irishman and Motherless Brooklyn are too long. They could have been cut down. This film, this 8+ hour long film, figured out how to appropriately represent all it needed to say in this length of time. I constantly think of this film in the highest standard and I could care less about football!

Clearly this was a very cool in depth look but I think America was a little tired of the story. Between the other doc done and the A&E show being put out just before this, the story had been told over and over. That being said, this was definitely the most in depth and will probably live on in history. Kudos to the team - must have been quite the undertaking.