Through the use of photos, archival footage and recreations as well as vintage television news reports, newspaper clippings and public service programs, and told largely by the people who were they to witness it firsthand, Stonewall Uprisings chronicles the events leading up to the landmark June 28, 1969 that took place at the New York City, Greenwich Village Mafia-run gay bar The Stonewall Inn. It is a mesmerizing accounting where you can feel the tension, drama and exhilaration of the moment itself, a fascinating documentary ranking as one of the finest I’ve had the pleasure to see this year.

A scene for Stonewall Uprising © First Run Features

Filmmakers Kate Davis (who also directed the superb Southern Comfort) and David Heilbroner do a masterful job of juggling footage and interviews, letting the subjects themselves, including the NYPD officer in charge of the actual raid as well former NYC mayor Ed Koch who admits both the government and the police force were out to get gay people. Also included are the two veteran Village Voice reporters who were on-scene the night of the riots, their insights keeping things in a context that is both perceptive and important.

But the real stars are the figures who ultimately stood up for their rights refusing to be brutalized and treated like dirt. Their stories are downright amazing, the filmmakers using them to weave together a narrative that makes what ultimately happened on those Greenwich Village streets all the more sensational. You begin to understand why things went the way they did, and just watching them recollect and seeing the profound emotions it brings out from every single one of them was enough to put a lump in my throat the size of the Big Apple itself.

It also helps considerably that Davis and Heilbroner have done their research and understand the best historical documents are the ones that remember to bring along the supporting attachments. They’ve got interviews with the founding members of Mattachine Society as well as archival footage from truly sensationalistic educational films with titles like “Boys Be Aware’’ and “Perversion for Profit.”

All of it added together buts the actual Stonewall event and the subsequent riots and marches into an almost timeless perspective. When one character proudly states, “This was our Rosa Parks moment,” you can’t help but agree, while when another says, “This was the time that gay people stood up and said, ‘No,’” it’s enough to get someone to stand up in the theatre and shout, “Right on!” back at the screen. 

Bottom line? Stonewall Uprising is an inspiring and important documentary that should be seen and discussed by everyone of all shapes, sizes, orientations, colors and opinions. It is a movie that provides food for thought while it also entertains. It is an enlightening achievement that puts an important historical event in context and elevates to the level of one of the great American events of the 1960’s. In short, this film is a sensational achievement, Davis and Heilbroner deserving of every ounce of the acclaim and adoration sure to be coming their way.

Film Rating: êêê1/2 (out of 4) 

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