Scottsboro: An American Tragedy

Released Jan 19, 2001

1h 30m

Documentary

List

67%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

87%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Using trial transcripts, courtroom photographs and other archival material, this documentary tells the story of nine African-American teenagers who, in 1931, were accused of rape by two white women. Despite a complete lack of evidence, the boys were convicted and sent to prison. Although ultimately exonerated, the boys' lives were devastated by the incident, and the filmmakers connect the public outrage regarding this case to the beginnings of the civil rights movement of the 1950s.

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Elvis Mitchell

New York Times

Rated: 4/5

Feb 15, 2001

Full Review

Amy Taubin

Village Voice

Scottsboro is fine TV, but it suggests that too much material was left behind in the AVID storage file.

Feb 8, 2001

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 31, 2005

Full Review

TV Guide

Rated: 4/5

Jul 30, 2003

Full Review

David Poland

Hot Button

Rated: 3/5

Jul 26, 2002

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Rated: 4/5

Apr 5, 2001

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Audience Member

a look at a case from the 1930s involving a group of 9 boys falsely accused of rape in the south. disturbing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well made documentary covering this very disturbing case of nine young men that were in the wrong place at the wrong time in racist 1930s Alabama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Barak Goodman

Director

Daniel Anker

Director

Andre Braugher

Narrator

Frances McDormand

Voice

Stanley Tucci

Voice

Barak Goodman

Writer

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Synopsis

Using trial transcripts, courtroom photographs and other archival material, this documentary tells the story of nine African-American teenagers who, in 1931, were accused of rape by two white women. Despite a complete lack of evidence, the boys were convicted and sent to prison. Although ultimately exonerated, the boys' lives were devastated by the incident, and the filmmakers connect the public outrage regarding this case to the beginnings of the civil rights movement of the 1950s.

Director: Barak Goodman, Daniel Anker
Producer: Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman
Screenwriter: Barak Goodman
Distributor: Films Transit International [ca/nl/us], Social Media Productions
Production Co: WGBH
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 2001, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Sep 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 30m

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