Witch Hunt – Movie Rob’s Review
ABC Film Challenge – Female Directors – W
“Despise is a big word. It’s a hard word. I think despise is… a much harsher word than hate, and that’s the way I feel about authority figures in Bakersfield.” – Carla Modahl – Daughter of Jeffrey Modahl
Number of Times Seen – Twice (5 Jan 2016 and 21 Jul 2024)
Brief Synopsis – Documentary about a small county in California during the mid-1980’s where 36 people were falsely accused of inexplicable crimes and how they fought for justice to be heard.
My Take on it – How could I partake in a series about female directors without including my favorite, especially since I know her personally. Dana Nachman has done some amazing work as a documentary film maker and even back when she was just getting started, she was able produce some very powerful films. This film is no exception to that. The story is one that is quite unbelievable and the repercussions of the events portrayed here reverberate even 16 years after this film was made. The fact that so many people in a small town in Califirnia could be accused of such heinous crimes solely on the word of children who constantly changed their stories still amazes me. The fact that these children were also innocent in everything that transpired is also quite shocking because it shows how the justice system can be weaponized and manipulated quite easily by people with an agenda. The fact that these innocent men and women spent years (and in some cases decades) in prison is shameful for the judicial system that allowed for these things to actually transpire. The documentary does a great job showing the side of these people, trying to make sense of the chaos that occurred nearly 40 years ago. The story are quite compelling and powerful and really make the viewer understand the pain that these people, their families and their loved ones went through for far too many years.
Highly Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Two of the convicted individuals were unable to prove their innocence because they died in prison. (From Wikipedia)
Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)