Fruitvale Station

Racial turmoil continues to be a sensitive topic of discussion in our country. I am impressed at how successful this movie is at eliciting what seems to be the proper emotions for this topic. This movie not only allows the build up of anger and sadness, but most importantly, understanding of what it is like to be an African American male in the United States. We can talk about situations like these all day long, but it is not until a situation elicits an emotional response within a person that one can fully understand that particular situation. We have been so immune and normalized to police brutality, often ignoring the headlines, and unconsciously avoiding the reality of our country.

In today's digital age, however, we cannot ignore the obvious evidence of racial injustices. The people, being us, now hold the power to exploit situations like the one Oscar Grant found himself in. How? Through the magical touch of a recording device, whether an iPhone or an android, we have the power to capture and instantly share with millions of web users. Certain court verdicts may not rule in complete favor of the victim, but the people will never forget what the evidence shows.

In his debut film, Ryan Coogler, not only covers a tough issue in our country, but successfully portrays the true story of Oscar Grant. In the media, we only get to learn about the headlines, but this film's narrative unfolds the events leading to the headline worthy tragedy. This behind the scenes development helps us understand that there is more to the story than just a cop shooting an African American male.