Keith Maitland's Tower is a chilling examination of the events which took place in 1966, when Charles Whitman carried out a massacre from the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 individuals while leaving over 30 other people seriously injured. A unique, visual experience, Keith Maitland's documentary blends archival footage, animation, and first person interviews of the individuals who were there, delivering a truly compelling documentation of not not only the tragic event itself but the aftermath, exhibiting how much a dark day such as this can stay with those who experienced it. Reflective in nature, Tower is a celebration of human courage and empathy, which questions how something so tragic could happen while giving many of these individuals a voice to express their personal accounts. Outside of a heavy handed Walter Cronkite voice over near the ending, which really feels shoe-horned in and is easily the worst aspect of the film, Tower remains relatively uninterested in getting into the politics of gun violence or the overall infatuation of violence itself that American society seems to have, wisely focusing instead on the human aspects and the psychological toll these events can have on those who lived through this experience. Tower feels deeply personal due to the vast amount of first person accounts it provides, deconstructing how humanity comes together in such times of chaos while also showcasing how individuals simply respond differently when their various existence is threatened. Tower documents the brave police officers and everyday citizens who responded with courage and tenacity, but it also makes sure to document those whose primal response was based in fear and survival instinct, with one of the most startling moments being a woman who was there lamenting "at this moment I realized I was a coward". There is no judgment in this documentation, quite the opposite, with the film simply expressing the various ways in which individuals cope with such startling chaos and violence. In a sense, Tower is a film about the need for connection and empathy in humanity, with these accounts detailing how shared bravery and human empathy overcame the putrid violence of that day. Tower is in a sense a psychological study of trauma, exhibiting how such an event can stay with those involved long after the blood is spilled. Tragedy lingers, and Tower beautifully captures the psychological toll this event had on its victims, exhibiting the sense of guilt, doubt, and regrets the survivors still live with 50 years after the actually violence. Keith Maitland's Tower is a film that wisely doesn't pretend to have answers to the complicated mess that is America's perceived penchant for violence, instead the film only wishes to document those affected by such tragedy, delivering a powerful, personal, detailed documentation of that tragic day and the long lingering psychological effects which followed.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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