Southern Rites (2015) User Reviews (6)

Amazing This Is STILL Going On Today...????

[MovieHoliks · 8/10 · 22 June 2015]

I just watched this terrific doc. off HBO GO the other day. I continue to be dazzled by the cavalcade of great documentaries that channel airs. I remember hearing, only a few years ago, (it made the national headlines) about that town in the South that STILL had it's black and white proms, and my jaw dropped....

"Southern Rites" visits Montgomery County, Ga., one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations.

I couldn't help but wonder, after some more complex things were revealed about the shooter, that we weren't being shown the entire story with this guy- or the whole situation. At first thought, you're thinking to yourself- okay, Southerner, bigot, racist guy shot this black kid down in cold blood. But then it's revealed he was *possible SPOILER* disowned by his own family for adopting his bi-racial niece (I think?). I think her interview near the end of the film maybe summed the whole situation up the best..??

Definitely check this out sometime. I think Northerners and Southerners alike will find some interesting aspects of a part of the country it's hard to believe still exists. Hopefully one day all this will be behind us, but sad to say, probably not anytime soon...

Enlightening but Slanted

[SirBurgh · 7/10 · 6 June 2015]

I can't say I "enjoyed" this - more like it horrified me that there was such segregation and racism still alive. The whole "black prom" and "white prom" is sickening to me.

So it was very enlightening, but I felt like the main story of Norman Neesmith was pretty slanted and unfair. The whole time I was just saying "Where the hell was the daughter?" I don't want to write a spoiler, but none of this murder smacked of racism to me. The guy seemed like maybe he was in a rage, but the issue of the daughter wasn't raised until the very end, and her involvement and response to everything that happened that night was muted, at best. Also the lighting to make her look more white was kind of sad.

Don't get me wrong, Norman Neesmith seems like something of an idiot and his whining about all this affected him makes you want to puke. But he raised a black child, had black children to his pool, and generally was anything but a racist.

But the bias that you'd expect in a liberal activist's work aside, it really was interesting and moving.

Sad

[cat4-76-212843 · 8/10 · 15 July 2022]

Southern White (USA) dude, indoctrinated in the racist world justifies killing - and complains the victims family didn't consider him. Yes, this still happens. All losers.

Revenge killing

[Pnkprinses309 · 7/10 · 9 June 2021]

I'd have rated this higher if it didn't include racist rednecks and long interviews with the murderer and his attorneys. This man's niece is a slt and invited the boys over knowing her dad was in the house-the boys had no idea. He killed these boys as they ran- they were no threat. It was clearly a revenge killing. Not even racial. But the DA was so racist. Georgia is as bad a Florida, we don't need it.

Great story, decent movie

[donnellymatt · 9/10 · 22 August 2018]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

The film itself, as a film, may not be worth the 9 I gave it. It is obviously pretty slanted, though I disagree with the other review that said the crime didn't smell of racism, and it's got some pretty shoddy editing tricks and a fairly disoriented narrative. That said, this was likely done on purpose for effect, so take that how you like.

I gave it a 9, rather than say a 6.5, because of the material and how important I think it is for people to see stories like this one. While you may or may not conclude that the crime itself was based in racism, the blatant racism within the community and all the way through the criminal process was jarring, to say the least. I'm certainly not oblivious to the fact that racism is still just as prominent as ever but you really get a good, albeit severely upsetting, glimpse of it in action in one small southern town.

The side story of the sheriff is equally as telling and infuriating and, I thought, was an excellent addition to the overall arch of the film.

I didn't really like the director (she's not in the film but there are some audio bits of her) as she seemed to either not be willing to ask some of the hard questions that one would want to ask in her position (or at least I would), or she just passed on or missed the opportunity. That said, the fact that she does let Norman Neesmith go on and on at times without interruption allows for some fairly stirring moments which are quite beneficial to the political power of the film. He really shows himself as a monster towards the end. And again, while the crime itself may or may not have been a result of racism (I think it's clear it was, I truly don't believe Norman would have held two white boys hostage before shooting at them but who know) the end result really hits home how real a problem racism still is in America, not just in Montgomery County. ALL Politics aside, at the end of the day the boy who died didn't deserve to die. And while Norman may or may not have meant to kill him mentally, he did physically. It was not an accident. He used his gun to keep the boys there and then when they tried to run away he shot at them. That's what guns do. Then after taking a life he has the gall to say "what about me?".. A truly despicable sight.

And if you're a hard-right, gun-totin', shoot-first-ask-later kind of person who dreams of yesteryear when things were good and wholesome and a black person knew their place, well then you'll probably hate this movie tremendously.

he was a child rapist

[FKintheCoffee · 2/10 · 10 July 2022]

The documentary really tries to make you upset or mad that a father killed the man who was raping his 14 year old. And at the end of the 14 year old blaming her self for what happened is heart breaking when it was anyone but her fault.

While the father clearly did break the law and you can ask question if him being white played a role in how he was treated during the trial you should do that without trying to make out that a 18 year old raping a 14 year old who can't consent is anything but a monster. She truly is the only victim in this story.

Also sadly because of the time spent on the pedo seem like a good guy is time that should have been spent on other areas such as the prom segregation or the election which seemed rigged.