The American prison system is well-known for being overcrowded, violent, and not designed for rehabilitation. Prisons could be described as places where humanity is absent. Inmates often believe they belong there, and because of this sense of belonging, they continue to embody the roles of gangsters and murderers they are labelled as.
Sing Sing explores humanity in a place where it often seems to die. Based on a true story, the film follows John “Divine G” Whitfield, who is incarcerated at the Sing Sing correctional facility. While there, he and a group of other inmates participate in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. As part of this program, the inmates create and perform stage productions. We follow Divine G as he and his fellow inmates work together to produce a new show.
Even though the film takes place in a maximum-security prison, it is truly wholesome. It’s a nice story with a positive message. The film tackles many themes, but its main theme is that you can find hope even in troubled times. Even when the system is against you—like the prison system, which often perpetuates and leads people to commit similar crimes to those they were incarcerated for—the film does an excellent job of showing that it’s possible to break that cycle. While it might be overly heartfelt and positive for some, as it avoids typical prison film clichés, I didn’t mind the crowd-pleasing tone because it fit the narrative and the message the film was aiming for.
Even then the narrative would be worthless if the performances weren’t strong. Colman Domingo gives a true career-best performance as John “Divine G” Whitfield. The amount of life he gives this character is unparalleled. We experience so much emotion from one character. From someone who believes that if they keep faith in the system one day it will pay off to a man who slowly becomes broken due to that same system grinding at him is truly powerful.
However, the performances that stunned me the most were those of the other inmates. Many of them are playing themselves, and I didn’t realize this detail until the credits rolled. Everyone is fantastic, and you would believe they are professionally trained actors.
Many films have attempted to have real-life people play themselves, which does not always work. I believe that the reason the acting is so effective in this film is due to the direction of Greg Kwedar. While the film is not overly flashy, it is driven by a clear vision of showcasing this powerful and heartfelt story. This, in turn, leads to the wonderful performances we see on screen.
Sing Sing is simply delightful—a film brimming with hope from beginning to end. It’s easy to watch and a great time overall.
★★★★1/2
Playing as part of the 2024 Edinburgh International Film Festival / In Cinemas from 30 August / Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San Jose, Paul Raci, David Giraudy / Dir: Greg Kwedar / Black Bear / 15
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