VIFF 2020 | "Time" Looks And Feels How A Documentary Should, But Fails To Support Its Main Subject's Position On Incarceration
8/12 ForReel Score | 3/5 Stars
If social justice was a religion, Sibil Fox Rich would be a rousing evangelist for the ideology. Her aptitude for public speaking is alluring and infectious. Her talent and relentless persistence is documented in Time in an effort to raise awareness of the racist justice system that she and her husband were subjected to for decades. But Time seems to have overlooked an elemental component to making a strong case: you need proof to substantiate your claims - even regarding racism. Without it, this documentary beautifully captures a story of pain and struggle while placing blame where it may or may not actually belong.
Time combines two decades of home footage and present day coverage - all in black and white for style consistency - of the trials and tribulations regarding Sibil’s experience with the justice system and a prolonged separation from her husband after they were sentenced to varying severities for their roles in a bank robbery. The experience in prison that Sibil at one point calls “cruel and unusual punishment” transforms her into an activist for social justice, calling jail “slavery” and establishing herself as an abolitionist. The road to freeing her husband from his heavy-handed 60 year sentence is frustrating and seemingly impossible, but SIbil is determined to make it happen regardless of the cost.
It’s Sibil’s voice that imbues value and power into this story. She speaks with great eloquence, boldness, and distinct enthusiasm. And it only helps that the documentary itself is exceedingly proficient at telling her story. Crisp, smooth, black and white cinematography captures the present day events beautifully, complimented by compelling clips Sibil had recorded for her incarcerated husband. Add in an appropriately bluesy piano-based score, and it all comes together to be an aesthetically pleasing experience.
Throughout the presentation, however, I’m bothered by something.
Having had a close family member released from prison recently - like Sibil and her husband, an upstanding citizen until one egregious lapse in judgement - I know that there are many issues with the justice system. Time chooses to spend a significant amount of its 81 minute runtime fervently covering a racist component to the process - an accusation that likely has merit - but the documentary provides no data to show how blacks are incarcerated longer for crimes than whites; offers no testimonies from others to corroborate how blacks are treated in jail compared to whites; and presents no evidence as to how much more wasted Sibil’s thousands of dollars on lawyer fees are compared to whites.
It shouldn't be a hard picture to paint outside of Sibil’s activism. Show me how white people who rob banks in Louisiana systematically get robbery charges reduced or dropped while black people systematically receive extended sentences. Show me how much money penitentiaries and state governments stand to lose by releasing inmates early. Show me efforts to reach out to government officials about the issue that were negligently disregarded. It’s all so ripe for robust and informed conversation, but Time forgoes the legwork to support Sibil’s grievances, and I spent the duration of the documentary troubled by that.
Objectively, it’s hard to deny how remarkable the artistry of the film and the passion of the main subjects involved are. But fundamentally, I struggled to get on board with the documentary’s premise that freedom and rights shouldn’t be in jeopardy when punishment of a crime is in consideration. After all, if incarceration is inappropriate, what are appropriate repercussions for crimes? How do we better apply criminal punishments equally? What is the solution to mass incarceration? And indeed, how do we permanently remove racism from the judicial system? Some of these questions are acknowledged in Time. None of them answered sufficiently. So until meaningful change can happen, there is a lot of wisdom in the notion - despite Sibil’s argument to the contrary - that if you don’t want to do the time (overpaying lawyers, living apart from family, losing freedoms, and such), then don’t do the crime.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 0 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?
Streaming on VIFF Connect for BC Residents until October 7 and find in-theater festival showtimes:
Available on Amazon Prime October 16:
