Documentary - The Untold Story of Emmitt Louis Till

by Amy Chu

The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till portrays the gruesome details from the 1955 murder case of a 14-year-old African American boy named Emmett Till and the sham trial that accompanied the tragedy. The images and media from the death of Till sparked fire for the interest of Civil Rights cases. The case was reopened in 2004 so an official autopsy could be performed on the body. Books, movies, and references of the Emmett Till story are still prevalent in current times.

In 1955, Emmett Till left his home in Chicago to visit family in Money, Mississippi. After purchasing goods with his cousin and the neighborhood kids at Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, Emmett wolf-whistled at shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant. The owner abruptly rushed out of the store and the boys fled, fearing she would return with a pistol. After returning from a road trip, husband Roy Bryant heard of the news and decided to retaliate.

Roy and his half-brother, J.W. Milam kidnapped Emmett from his great-uncle’s house during the night of August 28. The boy was driven to a neighborhood county where he was beaten to death and then shot in the head. Emmett Till’s mutilated body was recovered days later. Because of the gunshot wound, the face features were distorted. The identification was made from a ring the boy wore. The kidnappers were arrested and put on trial. After only an hour of deliberation, an all white and all male jury acquitted both defendants Bryant and Milam.

The funeral for Emmett Till was held in his hometown of Chicago. After seeing her son, Mamie insisted on leaving an open casket during the funeral to allow photographs. She wanted the world to see how badly her son’s body was disfigured. Emmett Till was buried on September 6 in Alsip, Illinois.

The director of the film, Keith Beauchamp investigated the murder fifty years after Till’s death. After contacting living witnesses and doing extensive research, he compiled the documentary. The film took nine years to complete after earning the trust of witnesses. Beauchamp had a similar incident to that of Till. After being seen dancing with a white girl, he was beaten up outside of a nightclub and in a police station afterwards located in Louisiana.

This documentary can be picked up from any Blockbuster and I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in civil rights or ones interested in learning a bit of history. It is truly heartbreaking to watch and hear Mamie recall the events of the past. She held herself together while explaining the grisly details of what happened to her son’s body. The scenes are a bit slow in transition, but seeing details of events and portraits of this tragedy is well worth the wait.