This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Becca Steiner’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
Riotsville Synthetic Township was Founded on Persecution
Riotsville U.S.A. is a documentary film, directed by Sierra Pettengill and written by Tobi Haslett. The film depicts real-life events in 1960s America. Sierra Pettengill's story takes place during the civil rights movement, showing authority personnel’s response to the current state of affairs and the series of events that followed suit.
During the fight for justice, Riotsville U.S.A. was used to prime America’s armed forces and the police on how to properly handle “hypothetical" protests. These fake scenarios took place in make-believe towns, all of which were orchestrated by America's forces of the law. People were hired to play the role of protestors in our government's theatrical debut, and America’s peace officers had to, ironically, rehearse their portrayal of peace.
The story surrounding Pettengill's film Riotsville, U.S.A. was fascinating and left me wanting to know more about the events surrounding the film. However, the story alone couldn’t save the way I felt about Pettengill’s cinematic choices. Pettengill’s film offered real footage that was taken during the Riotsville period, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Pettengill showed clips of the artificial towns, with troops acting out scenes where they terminate simulated revolts with hired characters. Pettengill also showed media coverage on televised interviews and news reports during and in response to the Riotsville project. But, the video editing, music choices, and narration took me out of my, otherwise, enjoyable film experience. Pettengill's transitions and pacing throughout the film felt inconsistent. She would bounce from old Riotsville interviews that would illicit strong feelings, like anger or despair, to then cut to voice-over segments that would throw the experience of the film as a viewer a bit off kilter. The parts of the film that were filled with voice-over sections lacked luster, the narration was very monotone and dull. Lastly, Pettengill’s music in Riotsville, U.S.A. had a copyright-free feeling to it. It’s something you’d expect to hear in a YouTube video, but not in a professional film. Some of the music vaguely reminded me of the pre-downloaded music that came with window computers, like Kalimba.mp3. It made the tone of the film seem less professional.