Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger

Number 2 on America's Most Wanted list after Osama Bin Laden, James "Whitey" Bulger terrorized Boston for years without ever being charged with so much as a misdemeanor. Bulger was a monster, murdering over a dozen known victims, but did the FBI and local law enforcement give his reign of terror over South Boston a free pass?

If this documentary did nothing more than simply chronicle the trial of Whitey Bulger, it would be a great documentary. Because, simply put, this is the biggest organized crime trial in a long time, rivaling the Family Secrets case of Chicago or the Pizza Connection case of New York. But they go much further.

We get some background on Irish crime in the Boston area. Nothing too thorough, but enough to grasp the situation and neighborhood that Bulger grew up in. Whereas the Sicilians had displaced the Irish in just about every major city when it comes to organized crime, in Boston the Irish remained strong.

Even better, we get an overview of the Top Echelon Criminal Informant Program (TECIP), starting with rarely seen footage of Joe Valachi in 1963 and working up to the present. This is a comparison of Bulger and Gregory Scarpa (another murderous mobster protected by the FBI), but then we get to a serious question: was Bulger even an informant as the FBI claims? Angela Clemente, the leading authority on federal informants, thinks not.

Bulger himself speaks in the film, saying police, ATF and FBI were paid off in cash, not information -- Bulger claims up to $25,000 or even $50,000 at a time. Now, of course, he may be lying. He made a career of lying and stealing. But what if he is telling the truth? Then this becomes a story of not only a ruthless killer... but a deeply corrupt justice system.

This documentary is brilliant and really is must-see viewing.

UNDISPUTED FACT #1: After 16 years at large and 12 years on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, "Whitey" James J. Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011.

UNDISPUTED FACT #2: Bulger is a murderer and drug-dealer.

ALLEGATION #1: Bulger was actually not an informant, but that people are out there trying to sully his reputation as being a "classy bad guy".

ALLEGATION #2: There is corruption involving this investigation and trial within the highest levels of law enforcement.

This film chooses to focus on the allegations, not the facts. "Journalistically jumbled", to quote the spot-on statement from John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter. Wouldn't it be far more interesting and useful to examine how this proved killer/drug-dealer avoided capture for such an astonishing length of time? Book-ended by Stephen Rakes' interview, which seems tragically fitting; but otherwise, this documentary just seems like overlong tabloid blah. WHITEY is merely a documentary targeted at DEPARTED fanboys.

** (out of four)

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (2014)

*** (out of 4)

Extremely well-detailed account of James 'Whitey' Bulger's reign of terror in Boston and what the FBI knew and covered up. Bulger's story became front page news when he was recaptured after several years on the run and then it became even bigger with the Johnny Depp film BLACK MASS.

This documentary goes into great details in regards to the various crimes that were committed. The documentary really doesn't shy away from blasting not only Bulger but also the FBI who seems to have known a lot more than they ever revealed and it cost a lot of people their lives. The documentary actually makes the FBI the biggest villains and after viewing the film you can't help but agree.

What works the best is that the documentary really covers the story from all sides. We hear from the men who were actually doing the illegal stuff including murder and we also get to hear from the prosecutors as well as the defense. People should be warned that very graphic crime scene photos are also shown and best of all is that we get to hear from the victim's families and see how their lives have been destroyed due to what Bulger was doing.

James J. Bulger probably is the greatest mobster who ever lived, ending up as the second most wanted fugitive right next to Osama Bin Laden on the FBI's list. He survived 25+ years on the crime-ridden streets without even a slap on the wrist due to—you guessed it—bribery. The potent gangster's wits never failed him until the very end; he had other fellow mobsters doing most of his dirty work like murdering countless people that found themselves involved in this monumental mess of a business in one way or another—they got whacked because they didn't abide by the Bostonian mob's rules. Not to mention, there were the innocent such as Stephen Flemmi's (another mobster by Bulger's side) girlfriend who simply chose to call their relationship off, and boom!—she was dead…because she couldn't be trusted anymore.

See, this crime ring began to far outstretch its original scope as the FBI, themselves, came into the fold and started covering up the numerous nefarious acts committed by these heinous criminals for favors like protection or a nice wad of cash into the pocket. Everything was covered up; everyone continued with their respective business, and everyone protected each other and let nothing slip until the eventual downfall materialized. Suddenly, several mobsters were revealed as FBI informants, and the government agents and gangsters started ratting out on one another, culminating in a colossal display of pure chaos.

This intriguing documentary adopts a crime-thriller style (oftentimes resembling the tone of a film this history actually inspired: The Departed). Acoustic guitar music plays in the background as the true depth of this whole scheme—the chilling ties between the government and the menacing wiseguys out and about in our streets—unravels. An abundance of information and interviews with highly significant figures in this horrific matter flesh out an incredibly compelling and scary story of America's troubled past—of a corruption that streams not only through our transparently wicked but also through those who've promised to serve and protect us. The smell and appearance of money tempts and is never rejected by any human being, and that is the frightening point that is expressed herein: "anyone is prone to corruption" as the film strongly emphasizes. There is no escape from the toxic system we've built and deeply dug ourselves into—the depravity of capitalism will persist 'til the end of days.

In terms of documentaries in general, this will be a very entertaining experience for anyone even though it occasionally gets wrapped up in its somewhat sophisticated presentation of facts, terminology, and the multitude of individuals involved throughout this shameful era. Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger also interestingly does something I see all too rarely in documentaries: even those who you witnessed being interviewed in-person somewhere during its duration unexpectedly meet their deaths in the coming months and years as the narrative proceeds, excellently showcasing the extent of time the filmmakers dedicated to this project and the refreshing unpredictability that comes with it. Overall, this thrilling account will allow you to look through two equally felonious perspectives (that are supposed to be operating on the exact opposite sides of the law, mind you) that first support each other but then come to a clash as all things do: the mob circuit and the US government. If that premise doesn't fascinate you, I have no idea what will.

This was interesting documentary, but separately, my question is related to the soundtrack played during the closing credits -- I have not been able to find the name of the band cited anywhere, neither in the closing credits, nor on any websites related to the documentary.

Is there a resource that provides this information (?)