Kaitlin Walsh
History 294: Introduction to Historiography
December 16, 2014
The
Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 is a thirty-two minute
documentary, released in 2008, directed by Adam Pertofsky and produced by
Margaret Hyde. It recalls the events leading up to the death of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. through the eyes of Revered Samuel “Billy” Kyles; the only
living witness that was present on the balcony the night King passed away. The
documentary also features primary accounts from Maxine Smith and Dr. Benjamin
Hooks, two members of the NAACP at the time of the movement.
The main message of the video speaks
about the great injustice for black Americans during the 1960’s; most notably
the Memphis Tennessee Sanitation Strike of 1968. Kyles paints a vivid and
informative picture of the Civil Rights Movement but the message of the documentary
centers more on how far black Americans were willing to go for equality. Dr.
King gave his life, and was prepared to give his life knowing that his bold and
brave decisions would make a difference in the outcome of black Americans all
over the United States.
The documentary follows the story of
a sanitation worker strike in 1968. During the time the wages for sanitation
workers was very low, low enough to work full time and still qualify for
welfare. As the sanitation situation got worse, marches took place that became
increasingly violent. The violence was mostly due to a few stray young men
breaking into shops and causing trouble in an otherwise peaceful march. Kyle
begins to talk about the very famous, and last, speech by King entitled ‘I’ve
been to the Mountaintop’. This speech was given at a church in Memphis the day
before he was assassinated. It was in this speech that King had alluded to the
fact he knew he was never going to make it to the ‘promised land’ but that his
followers would. This particular point is very important because King was
willing to pay the ultimate price for the movement in which he believed so
whole heartedly in. The next day King was supposed to have dinner at Kyle’s
house at five o’clock, but when he called to confirm the time, he was told six.
When Kyle went to accompany King to his home, King was not yet ready and they
sat and talked for almost an hour. As they were leaving, King stopped to talk
to some people over the balcony and as he was turning to leave, was shot
through the chest. He most likely died instantly.
The film focuses on the racial
discrimination of the 1960s and portrays most black Americans as victims and
most white Americans as discriminators. It captured the raw emotion of the time
but focused heavily on negative aspects of the Civil Rights Movement; they
didn’t mention any positive roles in which white Americans played a part in the
movement.
Overall the documentary was received
well critically as it received an Oscar nomination for best documentary in
2009.
Editing played a crucial part in how
this video flowed aesthetically. The way the video cut straight from one scene
to another added in the raw portrayal of the time. Footage and audio from the
actual time period allowed the viewer to put themselves in the shoes of the
people who fought for their equality during those events, marches, and rallies.
The film holds up as a very
informative piece of history for historians because of the amount of primary
resources available within the film. Overall it was a very interesting
perspective from a man who has more information on the death of Martin Luther
King Jr. than most other people in the entire world. This documentary will live
on as a visual representation of the Civil Rights Movement for many generations
to study in the future.
Works Cited:
Films on Demand. “The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306.”
Accessed December 16, 2014. http://digital.films.com.proxy.ccis.edu/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=40368&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=The%20Witness:%20From%20the%20Balcony%20of%20Room%20306&IsSearch=Y&parentSeriesID=&tScript=0.
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