O.J.: Made in America (2016)

DVD CASE/SIDE

Length of film: 467 Minutes

Rated: 18

Genre: Documentary, Biography, Crime

Director: Ezra Edelman

Starring: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mike Albanese, Muhammad Ali, Marcus Allen, Bea Arthur, F. Lee Bailey, Danny Bakewell

IMDB Rank: 8.9/10

***Originally released theatrically without an intermission, the film has been subsequently formatted into either three parts (two intermissions) or as a five part mini-series (Emery, 2016). For the purpose of the database the three part format will be used.

Duration of each part

Part 1	189 Minutes
Part 2	189 Minutes
Part 3	99 Minutes

Where does each part end? 

Part 1: O.J and Nicole Brown Simpson’s marriage is at a breaking point with Nicole filing for divorce. O.J’s rage continues to grow as Nicole pursues the single life. With years of police injustices towards Black and Asian communities, tension has reached a boiling point, resulting in riots throughout Los Angeles. How will this tension impact the next chapter in O.J. Simpson’s narrative?

Part 2: The closing arguments by both the prosecutor and the defence have been made. After a lengthy trial of 8 months a verdict will finally be given in the murder trial of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Will O.J. Simpson be convicted of murder?

Final line of dialogue on the first and second part: 

Part 1: “Something he could not control. And I think that was part of the attraction. And I think in the final analysis that’s what got her killed,” Robin Greer (friend of Nicole Brown Simpson) surmises.

Part 2: “Its not even the trial of the century anymore! Suddenly, the case of The People Versus O.J. Simpson has become the trial of Los Angeles,” a newscaster narrates.

First line of dialogue on the second and third part: 

Part 2: “When I got there, they had the scene very well secured,” LAPD Detective Tom Lange explains the brutal events of June 13, 1994.

Part 3: “Okay, lets see what O.J. can do,” a newscaster states reviewing a O.J Simpson football carry.

How jarring is it when the first and second part ends? 

Part 1: Jarring, O.J. Simpson’s need for control over Nicole is bringing to light a rage that O.J. is unable to control. The thought of killing Nicole is something O.J. has contemplated, it is only a matter of time before his thoughts become reality.

Part 2: Jarring, all physical and motivate evidence seems to support O.J.’s guilt in the double murder, but many concerns have been brought forth by O.J.’s defence (i.e., contaminated evidence, police conspiracy, and racial motivations) to provide doubt. With a divide between whites and blacks on O.J.’s innocence the verdict will have serious societal impacts.

Which part is better? The film is split into three distinct parts (or five episodes if watching in mini-series format) Part one highlights O.J’s rise to fame and his larger than life persona that surpassed ethnic divides. Part one also addresses the civil rights movement and the tensions within America between white and black communities. Part two, explores both police brutality towards blacks (i.e., Beating of Rodney King) as well as criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of both Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Part three reveals the verdict of the case and the continual downfall of O.J. Simpson. Part two is given the edge, as the entire trial is explained in great detail, exploring all evidence and testimonies as well as the impacts of prejudices and racial divides within America that ultimately become apart of the case.

Academy Awards: 2017- Best Documentary Feature (Winner)