Whitey

The elements of effective storytelling generally consist of a beginning, middle, and end intertwined with a direct narrative which guides an audience to a certain peak of resonation. Joe Berlinger’s documentary film, Whitey contains organized material from the get-go by interviewing citizens from the city of Boston, Massachusetts that became associates and victims of James Bulger. The opening sequence greets the audience with slow shifty music, and a yet to be named man sharing a story about getting strong armed at his own liquor store. After the early montage established the moxie and raw intimidation of James Bulger, a certain curiosity materializes as to how the filmmaker approaches and portrays this real life outlaw. By examining the most and least effective method of how Joe Berlinger illustrates James Bulger, one can see the crucial choices documentarians need to utilize in filmmaking.

Let us begin by concentrating on the most effective element director Joe Berlinger uses in order to make an argument that the defendant, James Bulger, was a victim of an FBI conspiracy. Immediately after the anonymous victim shares his story, news footage is shown from various networks explaining how Bulger had outfoxed the authorities, but at the two minute mark a sound clip of Bulger himself is played. Bulger said, “When I was captured, I told them, if you people I says will let Catherine go, I’ll plead guilty to all crimes”(Berlinger). This quote from James Bulger sets the tone for the entire film because he makes himself a victim. To be more specific, Bulger wants to become a martyr if his girlfriend is given freedom. The next twenty minutes of the film, Whitey, contrasts the ideology of Bulger being a victim as the audience is confronted with streaming shots of the people he allegedly murdered, and emotional interviews with their family members. As the trial begins Bulger begins to claim that he was not an informant for the FBI, but he in fact had agents on his payroll. Again the theme of the “victim” arises. The struggling conflict Joe Berlinger created on screen surrounding the question, “Who is the victim?” adamantly cements itself around the thirty-two minute mark during the interview with Angela Clemente, an intelligence analyst for the Bulger defense. Angela Clemente stated, “I have a lot of experience with a lot of informant files, and a Top Echelon is never going to be 700 pages”(Berlinger). The defense’s angle, claiming the FBI fluffed Bulger’s informant file ironically also leads to this films least effective argument.

Consequently, the weakness of the film Whitey was that Berlinger focused too much on the defense. Where was the FBI? Where were former FBI agents that could have given expertise insight and testimony to dispute Bulger’s “victim” defense? Only brief interviews were shown with the three U.S. prosecuting attorneys. When compared to Thin Blue Line, the film Whitey, seems to lack a sense of subtleness. To be more specific, Errol Morris placed the audience in the seat of the jury only after interviewing and demonstrating all of the evidence to the case. Since Berlinger left out certain evidence, Whitey seemed over the top to the extent that something was indeed missing.

In summary, the film Whitey demonstrates the power and importance a storyteller/filmmaker has when it comes to informing. The exaggerated theme of the “victim” only left more questions than answers. Given these points, it should be noted that, a good story demands a connection of all the elements of storytelling together so a transparent picture is provided to the audience.

Works Cited

Whitey. Dir. Joe Berlinger. 2014.