Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (7/10)

by Tony Medley

Runtime 107 minutes.

OK for children.

This shocking film completely overturns what most people know about the notorious crime boss, James “Whitey” Bulger. Bulger’s brother was a prominent Democrat politician, for years the President of the Massachusetts Senate and President of the University of Massachusetts, when everybody knew his brother was a mobster. In fact, he was forced to resign after he refused to testify at a 2003 Congressional hearing about communications he had with his brother who was at that time a fugitive from justice, which says a lot about the Massachusetts Democrat party.

But this movie isn’t about corruption in the Democrat party, it’s mostly about alleged corruption in the FBI and the Department of Justice. Like most people, I thought that once Bulger was captured living in plain view in a mundane Santa Monica, California apartment for 16 years with his gun moll, Catherine Greig, he would be quickly tried and convicted of all his brutal crimes. In fact, he was tried but only convicted of some of them. But that’s not the half of it.

This movie shows all the machinations that went on. Bulger was alleged to have been an informant for the FBI and the idea was that he was given a pass, even immunity, for all his crimes for turning rat. Bulger denied this, but at least one member of the FBI, John Connolly, went to prison for what he did in the Bulger affair, including presently serving 40 years for one of the murders. There’s little doubt that in addition to being a thief and a murderer, nothing Bulger ever said could be taken for truth and that he was ratting out his criminal colleagues.

Director Joe Berlinger follows the trial and interviews many of Bulger’s victims’ survivors, none of whom come across as pleased with the trial or the outcome. Although Bulger was not interviewed on camera, he is heard being interviewed by his attorney off camera.

The trial was as much a trial of the Boston authorities, both FBI and DOJ, who appear to be involved and perhaps responsible for many of Bulger’s horrible crimes, including many murders. One main problem in watching the film is that it is enormously confusing. There are so many people with Irish names, Connolly, Kelly, Condon, Fitzpatrick, Long, Foley, Duffy, O’Sullivan, O’Brien, O’Toole, and Brennan, interviewed, referred to, and talked about that it becomes dizzily confusing as the film progresses.

The upshot is that the film is far too long for what it is. While it raises disturbing questions about those who are supposed to be protecting us, it needs serious editing. Still, it is a film I recommend as entertaining and educational.

June 3, 2014