The Witness (2015)

The Witness revisits the mysterious events of March 13, 1964 when Kitty Genovese was murdered and witnesses heard the murder take place but did nothing to help. The story follows Kitty's younger brother Billy searching for the true events of that night that newspapers at the time exaggerated to push a social apathy narrative and to sell papers. The film gives audiences a look into the Genovese family's lives after the murder and more about who Kitty was as a person. The film gives additional information never written in prior studies of the case. Billy talks to some of the alleged witnesses who did call the police to learn that some didn't even hear the murder or know they were listed as one of the 37 witnesses in the infamous 1964 article about the murder. The documentary highlights new truths found by Billy Genovese while still showing the unfortunate mysteries about this case.

Watching "The Witness," there was never a moment dull moment. This film made me question what the media puts out. It has taught me to question everything, and to not believe everything I read. This film tells the story of Kitty Genovese, who was murdered while she was walking home from work in Queens, New York in 1964. Bill Genovese investigates the murder of his sister to find out the truth about what happened that night, and why the media gave the readers of the New York Times false information.

The Witness The intended audience is people familiar with the "Kitty Genovese" incident from the 1960s. The purpose is to educate the audience with the truth behind what happened to Kitty Genovese, as well as understanding her brother, Bill Genovese's perspective. I remember reading before the documentary "37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police", depicting the death of Kitty without any aid from her neighbors. I was curious as to what kind of person society lost from the incident. The Witness was filmed throughout many homes of everyone involved in the "Kitty Genovese" incident, including journalists, neighbors, and Bill's home. Bill takes the viewers through every key event of the incident, while giving back story to who exactly Kitty Genovese was to him. The film includes a reenactment of the incident, providing exact viewing angles and depth to all circumstances involved. The documentary uses vivid animations during the case study scenes. The ending narration is truly built up as nerve racking, would recommend watching for yourself.

In the documentary The Witness, Bill Genovese searches for the truth behind the sensationalized story of his sister's death through the use of illustrations recreating the crime scene, old images and videos, and a present day interviews. In addition to Bill Genovese's commitment to discovering the true events of the night of his sister's death, The Witness provides a unique view into the lasting emotional effects of Kitty's death on her family and friends, which other presentations of the case lack. It was interesting to see the current effects of the event that occurred 50 years ago. However, the a lot of facts that provided the basis for Bill Genovese's case were obtained for interviews from the people involved 50 years ago. It is hard to determine how accurate the small details that he relies on from these conversations when the events happened so long ago.