The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) | dir. Howard Alk | 88 min, B&W | USA

“You can kill a revolutionary, but you can’t kill the revolution.” – Fred Hampton, Sr.

In 1969, at the age of 21, Chairman Fred Hampton was on the brink of forging a multi-racial alliance of Chicago’s various youth gangs. Imagine that. 30,000 young people of color ready to turn their guns away from each other and redirect them toward the real enemy, under the guidance of the Black Panther Party. Hampton’s charisma as a speaker and effectiveness as an organizer had already reached legendary status before his assassination by the Chicago police, in a hail of gunfire, as he slept beside his pregnant girlfriend.

Filmmaker Howard Alk‘s 1971 documentary, The Murder of Fred Hampton, is a striking piece of historical cinema – a simple essay and reflection on the man, the movement and the aftermath of his brutal murder. With footage of speeches and meetings in Hampton’s final year presented in long takes with few edits, the story unravels without manipulation or pretense, allowing viewers to fully absorb the moments captured onscreen. A courtroom trial in which Hampton defends himself reveals a sense of humor along with the righteous indignation, sharp ideological grasp and even sharper tongue. Suddenly, the narrative is cut short with a silent shot of a bloody bed, followed by smiling pigs carrying out Hampton’s body. The film then switches gears to documentary form, with interviews from public officials and party members and canned news footage contrasted with Alk’s own. It wasn’t until after this film was released that the FBI’s COINTELPRO campaign was finally acknowledged and some of its details made public, including the fact that Fred Hampton’s own bodyguard was an infiltrator who set him up. Courageous, timely political film work like this, presenting facts rather than pushing a political agenda, turned out to be their biggest weapon of all.

On a side note, Jay-Z was born the same day Fred Hampton was killed (December 4, 1969). 39 years ago, today. How poetic.

• Youtube link to The Murder of Fred Hampton (in four parts)
• Cop The Murder of Fred Hampton on DVD
• Quotes from Chairman Fred Hampton (a tribute)