Ken Burns The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five chronicles the wrongful conviction of five African-American and Hispanic teenagers from Harlem, who were falsely accused and later convicted of brutally raping and inhumanely beating a white woman in New York’s beloved Central Park. Ken Burns, the director, seeks redress to prove the innocence of the completely dehumanized five, who were held accountable of a brutal crime by cruel detectives and prosecutors. Ken Burns uses archival footage, interviews and camera shots as conventions of documentary to acknowledge authority’s corruption and prove the boys were a victim of an unjust and venal system. He also aims to compel New York citizens to rectify their grim mistake against the five wrongfully accused innocents. The documentary critically tests the legal system and acts solemn and sympathetic towards the five youths who were struggling for freedom when convicted against this appalling rape case.

Burns’ documentary highlights the emotional trauma and innocence these boys have lost as a consequence of being apart of a criminal and unjust system. Burn’s establishing shots of the youth correctional facility, where four of the five youths were taken once convicted of the ruthless felony, speculates the treacherous and harsh environment the young boys were forced to grow up in. The barbed wire surrounding the complex, represents …show more content…
Ken Burn’s critical messages of authority’s corruption, manipulation and the youths’ heartbreaking experiences all ultimately condemn New York for falsely convicting these innocent boys and walking away from the atrocity. The documentary meticulously convinces the audience that these boys were apart of a criminal and unjust system and hence deserve a right to demand compensation from those who held them accountable for a merciless crime they never