'The Witness' Details The Obsessive Hunt For The Truth Behind The Murder Of Kitty Genovese [Review]

Kitty Genovese‘s 1964 murder in the wee hours of the morning in New York City solicited an unprecedented amount of press. The New York Times reported that Kitty was stabbed to death in front of 38 witnesses, and her story became the face of urban apathy. The incident has been studied extensively since then, leading to the creation of the term “Genovese syndrome,” more colloquially known as “the bystander effect.” It has also become the obsession of her brother Bill Genovese, who has been pursuing the whole truth about what happened on that night, so that he can finally have peace of mind about a case that’s been haunting him for nearly five decades.

Director James Solomon‘s documentary “The Witness” centers on Bill’s efforts, and begins back in 2004 when The New York Times finally decides to question its original story. The number of witnesses is still a puzzling part of the investigation: was it actually possible that that many people watched the tragedy unfold without even calling the police or shouting at the perpetrator? Bill Genovese interviews a few of the witnesses still alive today and some of them admit to calling the cops, yet the police that night don’t have it on record. These interviews are the centerpieces of the film, acting as a meditation on memory, and the way it can shapeshift over the years.

Bill was clearly affected by that night. In the ‘60s he vowed to not be like the infamous 38, and take action, volunteering for the Vietnam War. And while he lost both of his legs during the war, he does seem to get around everywhere, and his upper body looks strong and built from all the years of carrying himself from place to place on his own, asking for no assistance. His mix of strength and vulnerability make him a likeable and efficient narrator for the viewer. Take for instance the moment when Bill’s request to confront the murderer of his sister, Winston Moseley, who’s in jail for life, is rejected by the killer. Moseley instead sends a family member for Bill to interview who consequentially goes into a diatribe about how Winston claimed that Kitty was spewing racial slurs, which prompted him to take action on that tragic night. The claim is false and yet Bill remains calm, cool, and collected, displaying an impressive strength of character.

Eventually his obsession does reach a boiling point, however. What if Kitty’s much talked about tragedy was an urban myth spun by The New York Times for a juicy story? The theory gains credence through several interviews, but as the documentary goes along, it becomes clear that Kitty’s murder is less about what actually happened, and more about the shadow it has continued to cast on Bill.

Although the film is less than 90 minutes in length, it feels much longer and could have used a tighter edit. Solomon’s storytelling is strong, but not compelling enough to hold the viewer in thrall throughout its running time. Filled with plenty of ideas and a strong sense of identity, “The Witness” can still be somewhat unfocused, unfolding in a multitude of directions, but failing to provide a complete portrait about Kitty and her life, which is a truly fascinating one. At one point it’s revealed that although she was married, she was actually a closeted lesbian, but that detail, among others, remains unexplored.

Near the end of the film, in a Hitchockian twist reminiscent of “Vertigo,” Bill hires an actress to re-stage Kitty’s tragic circumstances, in the same place and at the same time. It’s a scene filled with very high human emotion, but also indicates the depths of Bill’s obsession, which stretches into the realm of the perverse. Bill’s ultimate plight is revealed in this very moment and it’s one that leads to many more surprising questions. [B]