Ava Duvernay’s Use of Visual Imagery in 13th Documentary

Film has been a powerful tool since it was created, changing the way humans experience and think about life. Also, films such as documentary films call attention to many social issues and problems. Documentaries bring about social change when they captivate the audience's attention. Documentaries use potent images to engage the viewers in reality and truth emotionally. The Documentary 13th, by Ava DuVernay, investigates the issue of mass incarceration in the United States, the history of racism, and the mistreatment and criminalization of African Americans. By using the practical method of visual images to grab ahold of the audience's emotional response, producers can strengthen the argument of how racism affected society yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Ava DuVernay, in her film, the 13th, uses real footage of moments where African Americans are being mistreated because of police brutality. This evidence brings to light the ugliness of social injustice authentically and emotionally way. Throughout the film, Ava DuVernay includes footage from past and recent events as they relate to the case made. Many of the clips are heart wrenching, upsetting, and can stir up strong responses from viewers. For example, there are numerous clips near the beginning of the film that show African Americans being mistreated in the civil rights era. The film includes images of black protesters, black students, or just black individuals being yelled at, shoved, attacked, or arrested by the police. It is alarming to see the film show excruciating details of this injustice. Another gripping assortment of footage happens at the end of the film, with clips from more recent times. There is footage of black protesters at one of Donald Trump's rallies being pushed around and verbally harassed, mostly by white men. The film compares the film with the black and white footage of the past where black man being oppressed by a group of white men during the civil rights period and African American protesters being harassed or oppressed The similarity of the two examples creates a connection between the treatment of black individuals from the past and the treatment of these individuals today society.

Another montage of footage in 13th at the end, with a sequence that includes original clips of police brutality cases. There is a plethora of clips that show police officers abusing their power over black people through extreme force. At times, this includes law enforcement using guns, which in most cases resulted in the death of African Americans. Intense footage includes a black man being restrained by many police officers as he repeatedly says, 'I can't breathe.' Another piece of footage shows a black man sitting in his car as a police officer approaches the car and shoots him from the window. There were too many scenes of African Americans being shot by police officers not to question the cruelty of hate and discrimination. While these scenes are painful to watch, one clip that particularly stands out in the film, Emmett Till's open-casket funeral.

Estimated about sixty years ago, a magazine published photos of the disfigured and decomposed body of a 14-year-old African American, Emmett Till, which rattled communities across the country. The images that have been placed in the film were essential to the truthful revealing of Till's murder. Mamie, Emmett Till's mother, held an open casket funeral on September 3, 1955, so the world could see her son's beaten, swollen body. Emmett's body was viewed by thousands of people and photographed and published in newspapers and magazines. The disturbing story of Emmett Till, along with its grueling images, continued to tug at the emotional heartstrings of the audience throughout the entire film. DuVernay does this to shine the light on the facts that reveal the truth that many tried to cover up.

These chilling images burn in the audience's minds and force them to realize the reality of the situation for many African Americans in America. The film, 13th, evokes strong responses from many. DuVernay uses this footage, not to overemphasize these events, but to shed light on the problem of racism, as well as make viewers think critically about the way Americans have repeatedly oppressed the African American community. DuVernay uses this excellent method of visual imagery to tug at the heart of the audience and allow the world to see for themselves the cruelty and unfairness of racism that has been a terrible part of our history and sadly, for many, is still a part of our present.