A look at James 'Whitey' Bulger, one of the most infamous criminals in American history.A look at James 'Whitey' Bulger, one of the most infamous criminals in American history.A look at James 'Whitey' Bulger, one of the most infamous criminals in American history.
- Awards
- 6 wins & 3 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- Quotes
Self - Son of Victim Michael Donahue: The FBI - they haven't been on our side since the day they killed my father. It took them four and a half hours to come to my house to tell my mother whether my father was dead or alive. They covered up the murder of my father. Helped pretty much to set it up. It's shameful. It's shameful. I think the FBI is worse than the mafia. They're the most organized crime family on the planet, who can do whatever they want, change the laws when they want, and they're not to be screwed with, to be honest with you. We've seen that first hand.
Joe Berlinger is an award-winning and very prolific documentarian, and he certainly goes all in here with an overwhelming amount of information, detail and speculation. The film begins with the 2011 arrest of Whitey Bulger after 16 years on the lam. We then explore the trial, as well as the background of Bulger's 30 years of power in South Boston (after his release from Alcatraz).
The interviews are fascinating. We get first person responses from attorneys, thugs from the Bulger syndicate, as well as many of the victim's family members ... some still so desperate for justice after decades of pain.
The Bulger defense team claimed immunity due to his status as an FBI informant. Of course, this claim opens up the real intrigue here ... how deep did the corruption go with local law enforcement, the FBI and the judicial system? Was Bulger empowered by those who should have been protecting the citizens and pursuing him? Many questions are asked, and the likely answers do not quell conspiracy theorists.
While some documentaries seem a bit thin as they stretch material, Mr. Berlinger's approach is to supply much information, many details, and an endless stream of interviews ... all to force us to wonder if Whitey Bulger's reign of southie crime was permitted, even encouraged, by those we thought were the good guys.
- ferguson-6
- Apr 15, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- CNN Films Whitey United States v JAmes J. Bulger
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $75,881
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $14,287
- Jun 29, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $75,881
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1