Description
In the early years of the 20th century, at a time when the U.S. Navy dominated Hawaii, Americans thought of the islands as a Pacific Paradise. But in 1931, an explosive incident shook the semblance of tranquility and exposed growing racial tensions. The alleged rape of a white woman by a group of Hawaiians led to violence and murder. The Massie affair inflicted a wound on the psyche of the Hawaiian people that has yet to heal…. More >>
Fascinating, well told account of what happens when race trumps all. Those interviewed are generally very insightful, with the exception of Haunani-Kay Trask, who makes sweeping generalizations that detract from the impartiality. My thoughts keep returning to this injustice three days after I watched it on PBS.
If only we weren’t doomed to make the same mistakes and could have learned from history, maybe reason would have prevailed over emotion before three more young men’s lives were ruined in North Carolina. The parallels are spooky!
Rating: 4 / 5
A neighbor of mine who is a sociology professor recommended this documentary, on an event of which I knew nothing before. Of that, I’m ashamed.
It was Hawaii in the early 1930s. White Americans loved the climate, felt superior to the darker Hawaiians many of whom lived on the poor side of town. Thalia Massie, the daughter of would-be socialite Grace Fortescu, was married to a naval officer and their relationship left something to be desired. She left a party and went for a walk during which she claimed to have been raped.
At the same time, a group of five young Hawaiians had gotten in a fight with some other whites. To make a long story short, those five were implicated in the rape–largely because of an admiral in Hawaii who felt that white womanhood was being threatened.
Eventually, one of the five was lynched by Thalia’s husband, Tommie, her mother, and some others.
The trial coverage was fascinating. Clarence Darrow defended the accused (because he needed the money! He’d lost all his savings in the crash.) I talked with the sociologist who’d lost any respect for Darrow because of that action. I reminded him that the accused did, despite the racist and classist nature of the crime, have a right to be represented.
The evidence after the trial had been completed showed that it is extremely unlikely that the rape had even taken place, and it was virtually impossible that the accused had done it.
Anyway, I’m afraid of giving away too much more in my description. Suffice it to say that, because of her “adventure,” Grace was able to live up to her aspiration as a socialite.
The story is compelling because of the race and class issues. And it’s important to note that few Americans even know that such an event took place. It’s terribly important that we fit such events into our history so we can understand ourselves–and humanity in general–better.
Get this, watch it, and show it to others. Seeing it has encouraged me to read more on the event.
Rating: 5 / 5
This documentary is an excellent primer to the events and racism and social climate of Hawai’i in the 1930s that led to the attempted railroading of five young men in both the court of public opinion and the court of law. The filmmakers set the stage well, hitting all the broad strokes of the case and the particulars of the time. It tells the story of a young, innocent Hawaiian man whose life was taken away…in the name of vengeance…for a crime he didn’t commit. The film contains amazing archival footage from the period, including footage of the Massies who murdered Joe Kahahawai and got away with it, and builds a precise snapshot of the times.
While this documentary is a great start in learning about this case, the length of the piece prohibited the filmmakers for providing the amount of detail that is known about this case: all the machinizations, the lies and the truths about what happened and how.
If you want to know even more than this documentary is able to provide, check out David Stannard’s exceptional non-fiction work “Honor Killing.” If the documentary makes your mouth gape at the injustice done in this case, Stannard’s book will make your jaw hit the floor.
Rating: 5 / 5
It’s important for everyone to understand that our world is situated in history, politics and economy. This film explains, in a heartbreaking way, why some sentiment still exists in Hawaii that is considerd anti-haole.
Viewers are given an overview of Hawaii in the 1930’s, as well as before it was annexed and became a U.S. territory. This lays the foundation for the event described, and provides an explanation as to how events played out as they did.
To write further information or detail would be a disservice to the film and to the producers. I would encourage anyone with an interest in history or social sciences to watch this. You will be disturbed, and you will not be the same.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is quite an informative documentary film about what was perhaps the most unusual case ever defended by famed attorney Clarence Darrow, best known for the Scopes and Loeb-Leopold cases. It also offers a unique glimpse at the military’s racism in 1930s Hawaii. All in all, it is a fine social document and an important piece of history.
Martin Shackelford
Rating: 4 / 5