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The Central Park Five

Name: The Central Park Five
Genre: Documentary
Released: November 23, 2012
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 79
Cast: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam

2012

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Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critics

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Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Movie Details & Credits

Sundance Selects | Release Date: November 23, 2012 | Not Rated

Starring: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam

Summary: A documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were wrongfully accused of raping a white woman in Central Park.

Director: David McMahon and Ken Burns and Sarah Burns

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 119 min

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Awards & Rankings

45	#45 Best Movie of 2012

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer

Nov 30, 2012

What we do see, among much else that is damning, are archival NYPD videotapes of the boys being interrogated by detectives who press them to implicate one another in exchange for a leniency that never materialized. Read full review

Mark Jenkins

Nov 23, 2012

Its greatest advantage over the book is that this is a story well-documented in moving pictures. In addition to recent interviews with the five, the filmmakers deftly marshal news footage, clips from the supposed confessions, and trenchant analysis. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Dec 6, 2012

An unusually good documentary about an outlandish miscarriage of justice. Read full review

David Rooney

Nov 16, 2012

A meticulously reported chronicle of a case that shook New York in 1989 and remains a mark of shame on the city ten years after the convictions were vacated, the film incisively documents a travesty of justice that echoes the infamous Scottsboro Boys railroading of the 1930s. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Nov 29, 2012

It's a different city today, in a country that sees its racial and social divides with more clarity than it did back then. But the most troubling question the film raises is how clearly we may see even now. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Nov 20, 2012

The attention to detail is fine-grained, especially on the slippery slope of plea bargaining. Missing are two pieces that might have turned this into an urban classic. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Nov 21, 2012

Ultimately fails to make its case that five teenagers were sent to jail for a crime they didn't commit solely because of institutional racism. Read full review

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User Reviews

LamontRaymond

Dec 2, 2012

I was fortunate to screen this heartbreaking film with one of the directors and two of the CP 5 - three really excellent people. In lieu of writing a full review, I'd just like to urge everyone who reads this to say only one when when placed into custody - "lawyer." By doing so, it's notI was fortunate to screen this heartbreaking film with one of the directors and two of the CP 5 - three really excellent people. In lieu of writing a full review, I'd just like to urge everyone who reads this to say only one when when placed into custody - "lawyer." By doing so, it's not like pleading the 5th - no fact-finder or judge is going to presume you're guilty of anything. These kids were absolutely bullied, but we can't assume that our government is run by angels, as Alexis de Tocqueville suggested - we have to protect ourselves. So if you feel you've been wrongly detained - don't say more than that single word - lawyer - until you've had a chance to discuss your situation with your legal representative, whether he or she is someone you or your family finds, or the court appoints to you. This is NOT the same as not cooperating with a police investigation when you're not in custody. But when YOUR freedom is at stake, don't hang yourself with your own words. The admissions by these boys - which were coerced - overwhelmed the jury and directly led to their jail sentences. I'm so sorry it happened that way. Again, when you're Mirandized, listen to the words, close your mouth, and ask for a lawyer.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

sudan29

Mar 15, 2015

This film is incredibly amazing. It was well filmed and made. One thing that really grabbed me into this film was the one-to-one interview sessions with five suspects. From hearing them talking about their experiences of being bullied by the NYPD to seeing their actual emotions through theThis film is incredibly amazing. It was well filmed and made. One thing that really grabbed me into this film was the one-to-one interview sessions with five suspects. From hearing them talking about their experiences of being bullied by the NYPD to seeing their actual emotions through the screens was unforgettable. However, the stories that were shared by these five innocent men saddened me. I was very disappointed about the justice system in our country and I didn’t like about the fact that they were unfortunate to spend their entire youth in the jail for an incident that was not associated with them at all. Besides being frighten and mad about this case, I have grown a strong feeling about protecting our rights. If this case were happened in today’s society, I cannot guarantee if the consequences are going to be the same because there are so many controversial subjects that are tightly related to subjects such as racism, gender discrimination or just human rights in general. Personally, I believe the importance of educating young adults about how to stand up against for themselves because a lot of them might not be awarded that sometimes they have the rights to say No and speak up about the truth even when they are under the investigation. These five kids were innocently being bullied by the entire policy department, if it weren’t for other purposes, they would not end up in jail. Thus, we have to be educated enough to know about our rights and how to use them to protect ourselves from being in situations like this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Nesbitt10

Oct 3, 2013

"The Central Park Five" serves as a warning about legal incompetence, innocent lives destroyed, and a judicial system vulnerable to manipulation. The documentary details a nightmare scenario for five Harlem teenagers facing hard time, and the condemnation of America for a crime they didn't"The Central Park Five" serves as a warning about legal incompetence, innocent lives destroyed, and a judicial system vulnerable to manipulation. The documentary details a nightmare scenario for five Harlem teenagers facing hard time, and the condemnation of America for a crime they didn't commit. The production sets the situation immediately, introducing the viewer to NYC in the 1980s, where Wall Street is in the process of rebuilding its reputation, while crack ravages the inner city, creating an explosive racial divide.

The film examines the infamous 1989 Central Park Jogger case, where a young white woman is brutally beaten and raped in New York's Central Park. At the same time, a group of five young black and Latino teenagers were quickly arrested for the crime and imprisoned. Following swift arrests by law enforcement officials, the prosecutors proudly declared the conviction as a step forward in the reclamation of a the city. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, all five are found guilty on multiple charges. Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, and Kharey Wise each spent between six to 13 years in prison, professing their innocence, while maintaining that it was a coerced confession to the crime. However, a chance encounter between the oldest of them and convicted serial rapist Matias Reyes, who years later yields his free admission of sole responsibility for the crime, and the claim is further substantiated with DNA evidence.

The documentary's approach seamlessly blends past and present, re-examines the assault, and walks you through what happened to the teenagers, from their arrest through their exoneration. Burns captures the complexity of history with startling results, yet "The Central Park Five" isn't quite as comprehensive as hoped, and fails to add anything substantively new to the story. Additionally, an element of balance is missing that would have turned a very good documentary into an exceptional one.

"The Central Park Five" presents the facts of the case with clarity, and it is a courageous, revealing look at the often complex and broken legal system in the United States. Unfortunately, there is no avoiding the conclusion presented by historian Craig Steven Wilder: "Rather than tying [the case] up in a bow and thinking that there was something we can take away from it, and that we'll be better people, I think what we really need to realize is that we're not very good people."… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

sid12

Dec 1, 2012

nice movie

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

KellyGaudreau

Jan 19, 2015

In the film, Antron McCray states that the truth will come out. It did come out. In the meantime these boys suffered injustice. These boys suffered an injustice that could easily be experienced in 2015. In the news we hear of places like Ferguson and present day New York. We hear of policeIn the film, Antron McCray states that the truth will come out. It did come out. In the meantime these boys suffered injustice. These boys suffered an injustice that could easily be experienced in 2015. In the news we hear of places like Ferguson and present day New York. We hear of police overstepping their bounds when it comes to interrogating. We hear of police brutality. There are those who say when you raise these issues you are speaking against the very same people who are there to protect you. That is far from the truth. Anybody who speaks out against these abuses are merely against those who are overstepping their authority. The vast majority of police are heroes. The vast majority of police are people we should be looking up to.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Noahglanville

Oct 14, 2014

Central Park Five is documentary based on the true story about a case of rape and assault that occurred in Central Park, New York city. It shows how the police investigation was not completed correctly and how five boys were falsely convicted and sentenced to time in prison. The boys wereCentral Park Five is documentary based on the true story about a case of rape and assault that occurred in Central Park, New York city. It shows how the police investigation was not completed correctly and how five boys were falsely convicted and sentenced to time in prison. The boys were interviewed and talk about what they went through and how badly they were treated, NYPD was asked to comment and or talk about the case but there was no comment. The fact that the police department had no comment shows that even they knew that the situation was not dealt with in the right way. The documentary does a very good job portraying the time period and what it was like to live in New York during the 1980’s and how racism affected the city. The film is not just an informative movie about the case; it goes into in depth problems that were very prominent during that time and still continue today. It discusses how racism was a contributing factor to the conviction of the boys
This documentary is very moving and as I learned the stories of the five boys I began to become emotionally attached and feel very empathetic towards them. One aspect of the film that is shown very well is the deception and deceitfulness of the police that are investigating the boys. The interrogators persuade the suspects that they were guilty; they twisted words and coerced the boys into confessing to the crime. The archived police video clips of the boys confessing make it clear that they do not have their stories straight and they have no idea what they are admitting to. Overall I liked the documentary and thought it was very intriguing and it captivated me entirely.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cinemaquote

Jan 18, 2013

i am a documental buff. i read a couple reviews of this great investigative piece. it remained so: a sum-up of chronological facts that make up a very powerful story. but the docu lacks broll, images, archive stock... so many images of the iconic 80s are part of the story of these 5 kids andi am a documental buff. i read a couple reviews of this great investigative piece. it remained so: a sum-up of chronological facts that make up a very powerful story. but the docu lacks broll, images, archive stock... so many images of the iconic 80s are part of the story of these 5 kids and couldve definitely added force and rhythm to this very interesting investigation but... alas, the filmmakers stick to the story as if in a sociology class. great film, anyway.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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