'This is America at 250: Frederick Wiseman' - 'Law and Order'
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In the wake of the race riots of 1968, Frederick Wiseman trains his quiet, unobtrusive cameras on the Kansas City, Mo., police department throughout their everyday routines as they work. Though the police force is mostly Caucasian — and the suspects are mostly African-American — Wiseman refuses to oversimplify the intricate relationship between the two groups as he documents the former’s complicated yet essential role in the criminal justice system. "Law and Order" surveys the wide range of work the police are asked to perform: enforcing the law, maintaining order, and providing general social services. The incidents shown illustrate how training, community expectations, socio-economic status of the subject, the threat of violence, and discretion affect police behavior. "Law and Order" won an Emmy Award as the Best News Documentary in 1969.
The film plays as part of Digital Gym Cinema's year-long retrospective "This is America at 250: Frederick Wiseman." honoring the enduring legacy of the late, great filmmaker Frederick Wiseman.
