Whitey released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 14.
My first introduction to the concept of James “Whitey” Bulger, as it might have been for all non-Bostonites, was Martin Scorcese’s spectacular film, The Departed. Jack Nicholson’s character was rather sturdily based upon Bulger. Even then, I didn’t realize how important this introduction was. I was in college, and I wasn’t exactly hip to the FBI’s most wanted list. Somehow, in those days, everyone falling short of Osama Bin Laden just didn’t seem very memorable. Then, about six years later, Whitey is every news outlet’s favorite subject, because there is nothing more fashionable than a high profile trial. Still, even after that, I really didn’t understand how consequential any of this was until I saw Whitey: The United States of America v. James J. Bulger.
The documentary gives a brief (perhaps a little too brief) background on Whitey’s four-decade-long rise to ultimate power in South Boston, presents us with some people closest to the trial (all of whom tell their stories in a supremely Bostonian fashion), and walks us through what happened within the courtroom, as well as a handful of events which may or may not have occurred without. What is clear is that Bulger is an extremely sick man who was undoubtedly guilty of several murders, extortions, etc, and he had connections to the FBI. What is not clear is whether or not he was an informant, which isn’t so much the key to his trial, but a more troubling question, and that deserves a thorough answering.
I hope all this sounds intriguing, because it is. I don’t wish to spit out the Cliff’s Notes version of the film’s contents in case you should seek the opportunity to watch for yourself, so I won’t take it much further. What I will say, however, is the whole thing would have felt much more important had it come out six, or hell, even two years ago. After discovering what the NSA has been up to, I can’t imagine any clandestine wrongdoing by the government coming as a hugely troubling surprise.
Not until Soylent Green happens, anyway.
The film is well made and fairly comprehensive, but to conclude with its biggest mystery unsolved, just as the trial did, it doesn’t quite blow any minds the way it seems to think it does. In the end, it just feels like one more reason not to trust the government. Shouldn’t that get a little deeper under my skin?
THE PACKAGE
Deleted Scenes: A collection of interviews that didn’t quite make the cut — some interesting and well-spoken moments by the subjects.
Sundance Film Festival Interviews: A couple impromptu conversations with director Joe Berlinger, and others.
Theatrical Trailer: Who doesn’t love a good trailer? C’mon… good trailers love you!
