American Experience: Blackout (2015)
*** (out of 4)
The New York City blackout from 1977 is the subject of this episode in the long running documentary series. We get interviews with firemen, citizens and other people were look back at the night when the great city went black only to be lit up by fires being started by people who not only were committing arson but also looting.
For the most part this is another good entry in the series but at the same time there's no question that this it's not as great as many will be hoping for. What the film does do right are the interviews and especially the ones with the shop-owners who found their stores either completely looted or burned to the group. Also getting to hear from the fireman talking about the non-stop calls and how there were simply more fires than people able to fight them.
The film also goes into details about why things got so out of control that night. Most blaming the poor economy as being the reason people went out there to loot but the documentary never really explains that that's not a good reason to do such a thing.