By Any Means review
Elegance Bratton’s civil rights drama in the Jim Crow south confronts you with almost unbearable brutality
TL;DR
- The film 'By Any Means' is inspired by the real-life murder of Black activist Vernon Dahmer by the KKK in 1960s Mississippi.
- It follows FBI agent Wayne Strider and mobster Gregory Scarpa on an unofficial mission to find Dahmer's killers.
- The movie addresses voter suppression through poll taxes and depicts graphic violence and racist abuse.
- Director Elegance Bratton uses a visually rich style but is criticized for an overreliance on emotive scores and overexplanation of themes.
- The film significantly deviates from historical accuracy for dramatic effect, which has led to criticism and calls for a boycott.
- Bratton states the film uses history to comment on the contemporary condition, rather than providing a historical account.