DVD Review: 1971

The documentary 1971 tells the story of several American citizens who broke into an FBI office in March of 1971, uncovering illegal activities done by that organization, and then sending the documents for publication. Title cards at the beginning tell us that the break-in “would lead to the first Congressional investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies in the country’s history” and that “The burglars were never caught.” Well, here some of them, including John and Bonnie Raines, recount the events. But this incredible documentary doesn’t just give us a point-by-point description of that night, but also delves into the results of that break-in, both in terms of the investigation and in subsequent behavior of the FBI as well as by the participants. It is a look at people who acted on what they believed was right, at great personal risk.

The film focuses on interviews with break-in participants John Raines, Bonnie Raines, Bob Williamson, Keith Forsyth and Bill Davidon. They give a bit of a background on what led them to this action, with John talking about how the events of 1968 made him “ready to make a transition from non-violent protest to non-violent disruption,” and Keith mentioning how the Jackson State killings by the police got him more involved: “I was done talking at that point.” They also describe their preparations for the break-in, including one of them learning how to pick locks. Bonnie was 29 at the time, but looked younger, so went into the office posing a college student curious about opportunities for women in the FBI in order to scope out the site. (This is shown in a re-enactment. The film does use some re-enactments, but does not rely on them too heavily.) They chose the date of March 8th, because it was the night of the big fight between Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and they thought people would be focused on that. Interestingly, one of the nine people dropped out before the break-in, which understandably made the others nervous. The ninth person later showed up at John and Bonnie’s home, saying he was thinking about turning them in. There were other dangers too. John tells us: “No one knew that every photocopying machine has its own signature. And the Xerox people knew exactly which machine made that copy. J. Edgar Hoover demanded that they reveal which machines these were.”

The film also features an interview with Betty Medsger, the journalist for the Washington Post who received the documents in the mail. Also interviewed are Terry Neist, a former FBI agent who talks about infiltrating anti-war groups and “trying to wreck the groups that were trying to wreck the country,” as well as some historians and journalists. The film includes footage regarding the investigation, including footage of Anne Flitcraft describing how the FBI broke into her home and stole her typewriter and books, as she was a suspect. There is some great footage of a street fair in which folks sing “The FBI Is Coming To Town” (to the tune of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”). The film also includes material on the Camden action, in which both Bob and Keith were involved. Also fascinating is the interview with former NBC reporter Carl Stern regarding the Freedom Of Information Act and COINTELPRO.

This film is interesting for the story it tells, both the break-in and the way the government went about its investigation. But it’s also particularly interesting now with regards to our current political situation, and the way both the government and the media handle dissent and privacy issues. A title card at the end does mention how after the attacks on September 11th, the government broadened and expanded its surveillance, something people aren’t upset enough about, I feel.

Special Feature

The DVD includes Snowden On 1971, which is a panel on the film, featuring director Johanna Hamilton, Betty Medsger, John Raines, Bonnie Raines, Keith Forsyth and David Kairys, and moderated by Charles Lewis. Edward Snowden joins them via satellite. Betty Medsger recounts the day she received the package of the files and the actions she took in authenticating them. John Raines talks about how the FBI at that time was not held accountable, how J. Edgar Hoover was admired. The participants cover some of the same material they do in the film, going over the events of the break-in, but there is more about consulting the attorney, which is really interesting, especially as not much of that was in the film. They also talk about the decision to go public, and about the Camden 28. This features is approximately eighty-five minutes.

The DVD of 1971 was released on November 24, 2015 through First Run Features.