13th is Ava Duvernay's follow-up to Selma & what a thought provoking indictment of the American penal system it is. Like a permanent lump in the throat, this visual thesis posits continuing slavery in the US, even though it's not referred to in name, as our prison system continues to have its fill w/people of color. We have the usual barrage of talking heads, historical footage & factoids sprawled across the screen but the urgency of the message & recent history lend considerable credence to this doc's claims.

DuVernay's documentary does an extremely good job of drawing a line from slavery to Jim Crow to the mass incarceration of black men in America, tying incarceration to the rider in the 13th Amendment that allows the enslavement of those convicted of a crime. The War on Drugs started by the Nixon administration (DuVernay includes an incredible quote from John Erlichman admitting that the "War on Drugs" was a ploy to persecute anti-war protesters and African Americans) is shown to have been a tool to exploit the public's fear of black men and push agendas to get people elected and to allow corporations to profit from the prison system. A superb documentary that perhaps attempts to make few tenuous connections here or there, but is generally spot on ... and amazingly infuriating as a result.

The title refers to the 13th Amendment, which was passed back in the late 19th century following the end of the Civil War. This reform was set to put an end to slavery, and when it passed, many thought it marked the end of racial discrimination that tattered our country (especially the South). Regrettably so, the unfair treatment against African-Americans still lingered, and it's a problem that still remains active to this day. While many influential figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contributed to such political movements such as the Civil Rights of 1964, many African-Americans are struggling to find for their freedom in various areas. One of which involves the law enforcement, and how the prison system has continued to react reasonable towards crime committed by the white community, while given an unfair treatment towards the black community. Directed by Ava DuVernay who last took charge of the MLK biopic 'Selma', this thought-provoking documentary focuses on the history of the mass incarceration of African-Americans, and how it shed light on America's corrupt practice of racial inequality in the prison system. With the mass incarceration rate growing rapidly year by year, this film offers a deep intake of on how African-American have fallen victim to unfair treatment by the legal system.Ava DeVernay's purpose for this documentary is not to offer a bias sentiment on our country's legal system but to open the spotlight of an issue that has put racial tensions and the law enforcement into bitter collision. Embarking on the history of the 13th Amendment, this film pedals on the harrowing history of unethical conduct against the African-American community including lynching and hate crimes such as the murder of Emmett Till. DeVarnay powerfully supports the material with interviews of college professors and archive news footage of protests, beatings, and police brutality -- all of which are very haunting to watch. DeVernay also gears in the effort of touching on various policies the government's attempts on passing policies in reaction to the epidemic of prejudice treatment against the colored community. A vast majority of this material leads to the vital commentary of our country's prison system which has exhibited an alarming amount of imprisonment of wrongly accused black citizens. The further the film goes on, the more heart- stirring it proceeds as it grows more and more evident on how our society has fallen shallow in justice against the historically underprivileged demographic. Most importantly, it touches firmly on an issue that still remains wildly relevant to this day, especially when you turn on the news. Although some will argue the film plays on their emotions, it only offers a unpleasant truth of a controversial issue.13th is a harrowing, thought-provoking documentary that makes an enthralling delivery of a haunting issue that has affected our society in many decades, while offering a crucial historical lesson on the clash between race and law enforcement. It is not pleasant to sit through nor does it offer a bias agenda. But most importantly, it is a documentary that deserves your attention.

Be patient with "13th," Ava DuVernay's documentary about how the American prison system has become a modern-day fill-in for slavery. For a long time, the film is a mess, scattered and unfocused. But gradually the various threads come together in support of her central thesis, and what emerges is an accusation aimed at the American white establishment and American big business that benefits financially from keeping the rest of America convinced that black men are criminals and deserve to be incarcerated.Whether or not you find DuVernay's arguments convincing depend I guess on how well you think she makes them. I liked "13th" while I was watching it, but I'm writing this comment while in the middle of watching "O.J.: Made in America," a film that tackles many of the same themes but handles them all much better, and I have to admit that I can barely remember DuVernay's film now thinking back on it.Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2016 Academy Awards.Grade: B+