This is one of the saddest and most tragic and disturbing movies I have watched, yet probably also important ones.
It's a reminder to everyone who works with kids as a teacher or parent or caregiver or volunteer or any capacity when you are dealing with other people's children to report signs of abuse if you see them or suspect abuse to be happening to tell someone... and what can happen if people turn away and choose to close their eyes.
I don't know if you heard of Sylvia Likens. She was a teenage girl in Indiana, USA in the 1950s who with her disabled sister was sent to live with a woman, Gertrude Baniszewski, and her several children for several weeks by their parents as they worked at a carnival. During a timespan of only several months Sylvia was horrifically abused physically and emotionally by Gertrude and her children, as well as the other kids on the block. Many people knew something terrible was happening but no one did anything to help. After a few weeks of this, Sylvia died of brain hemorrhage, shock and malnutrition in the basement of the house. Gertrude Baniszewski was later arrested and charged with murder and imprisoned, as were some of her children.
The movie is not very graphic and it is not an 'exploitation' film- like a 'slasher' or 'horror' or a 'crime movie' that is made to capitalize on someone else's suffering and really nothing else, the purpose being to 'shock' audiences. The full scale of the abuse Sylvia went through is fortuately not shown, the viewer is exposed to only a small fraction but enough to seriously shake a person up- and it should. And to hopefully be inspired to make a commitment to never turn away again or pass off injustice as 'someone else's problem'. If you want to read about her and what this innocent child went through, google her name and see what pops up.
It is I think it is a very badly needed wake-up call and not just to people who work with kids but society and the world in general. When injustice is happening we cannot close our eyes. Someone said for evil to happen it is necessary for good people to do nothing, I know I may be paraphrasing but the point is that when people don't stop injustice it continues.
This is a very difficult movie to watch but I think should be seen not only because the issue of child abuse is very prevalent but because this is also a film about the results of indifference to injustice which as a society we are all too often guilty of.
Curious to hear what you thought.
God bless.
YouTube - An American Crime Part 1
YouTube - An American Crime Part 2
YouTube - An American Crime Part 3
YouTube - An American Crime Part 4
YouTube - An American Crime Part 5
YouTube - An American Crime Part 6
YouTube - An American Crime Part 7
YouTube - An American Crime Part 8
YouTube - An American Crime Part 9
YouTube - An American Crime Part 10
YouTube - An American Crime Part 10
It's a reminder to everyone who works with kids as a teacher or parent or caregiver or volunteer or any capacity when you are dealing with other people's children to report signs of abuse if you see them or suspect abuse to be happening to tell someone... and what can happen if people turn away and choose to close their eyes.
I don't know if you heard of Sylvia Likens. She was a teenage girl in Indiana, USA in the 1950s who with her disabled sister was sent to live with a woman, Gertrude Baniszewski, and her several children for several weeks by their parents as they worked at a carnival. During a timespan of only several months Sylvia was horrifically abused physically and emotionally by Gertrude and her children, as well as the other kids on the block. Many people knew something terrible was happening but no one did anything to help. After a few weeks of this, Sylvia died of brain hemorrhage, shock and malnutrition in the basement of the house. Gertrude Baniszewski was later arrested and charged with murder and imprisoned, as were some of her children.
The movie is not very graphic and it is not an 'exploitation' film- like a 'slasher' or 'horror' or a 'crime movie' that is made to capitalize on someone else's suffering and really nothing else, the purpose being to 'shock' audiences. The full scale of the abuse Sylvia went through is fortuately not shown, the viewer is exposed to only a small fraction but enough to seriously shake a person up- and it should. And to hopefully be inspired to make a commitment to never turn away again or pass off injustice as 'someone else's problem'. If you want to read about her and what this innocent child went through, google her name and see what pops up.
It is I think it is a very badly needed wake-up call and not just to people who work with kids but society and the world in general. When injustice is happening we cannot close our eyes. Someone said for evil to happen it is necessary for good people to do nothing, I know I may be paraphrasing but the point is that when people don't stop injustice it continues.
This is a very difficult movie to watch but I think should be seen not only because the issue of child abuse is very prevalent but because this is also a film about the results of indifference to injustice which as a society we are all too often guilty of.
Curious to hear what you thought.
God bless.
YouTube - An American Crime Part 1
YouTube - An American Crime Part 2
YouTube - An American Crime Part 3
YouTube - An American Crime Part 4
YouTube - An American Crime Part 5
YouTube - An American Crime Part 6
YouTube - An American Crime Part 7
YouTube - An American Crime Part 8
YouTube - An American Crime Part 9
YouTube - An American Crime Part 10
YouTube - An American Crime Part 10
