In all fairness to Dare Not Walk Alone, I just recently re-watched Eyes on the Prize, the landmark, unequalled 14-part documentary on the Civil Rights movement. It doesn't get much better than Eyes on the Prize, and watching Dare Not Walk Alone so soon afterwards was something of a mistake. But even still, I'm not all that sure that I would have been overwhelmed by Dare Not Walk Alone even if the circumstances surrounding my watching it were any different.

Jeremy Dean's documentary focuses on St. Augustine, Florida, where in 1964, shortly before President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, attempts to desegregate garnered national attention. With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the scene, St. Augustine became an integral setting in the push for racial equality in America, as did the Monson Motor Lodge, a segregated motel where much of the drama unfolded. Much of country was shocked when James Brock, owner of the Monson, poured acid into the motel's swimming pool after several African-Americans jumped in. Brock's enraged actions, as well as the repeated acts of violence carried out by white mobs against blacks on segregated beaches of St. Augustine became part of national dialog, and many argue helped to solidify Johnson's resolves to enact the Civil Rights Act.

Through a wealth of archival footage intercut with contemporary interviews, Dean recounts the history of St. Augustine, and then turns around and examines the city as it is forty years after the fact. While racial equality may have been achieved in the form of desegregation, there is still a brutal economic disparity that keeps the Florida city divided, primarily along racial lines. Most of the black residents of St. Augustine live in abject poverty that resembles third world conditions, and the disproportionate number of blacks in jail versus whites also speaks to lingering inequities. And while all of this is both infuriating and fascinating--although fascinating seems an inappropriate term--none of it should come as a surprise to anyone with a semblance of awareness.

Dare Not Walk Alone is a decent film, that serves its purpose in both reminding the audience of recent history, and examining the current condition of some blacks in this country. But the film suffers from an inconsistent structure, and has been edited in a way that is at times clunky and awkward. The people who are interviewed are little more than faces talking to the camera, when there should be more of a sense of who they are as human beings. Without a greater sense of who is being interviewed, the films has a disembodied lack of humanity, which in turn results in a lack of any real emotional punch. For someone with no historical knowledge of the Civil Rights movement whatsoever, this documentary might be emotionally moving. But for anyone well versed in what happened then, and what is going on now, Dare Not Walk Alone will most likely leave you feeling like you've just watched one movie too many about Civil Rights and racism in America.

Video:
Dare Not Walk Alone is presented 1.33:1 full frame. Much of the movie consists of archival footage that has seen some wear and tear, making the picture quality at times questionable. The contemporary footage looks fine, and the overall picture quality is good. There are, however, several spots in the movie where the disc pauses during chapter changes.

Audio:
Dare Not Walk Alone is presented in Dolby Digital in English. Some of the sound in the archival footage is really bad, and is subtitled for clarity. The sound mix itself is decent overall, but there are noticeable audio drop outs in the music track.

Bonus Material:
A deleted scene and interview footage makes up the bulk of the bonus features. If you are engaged by the film itself, you might enjoy the extras.

Final Thoughts:
As a fan of documentaries, and as an avid history buff, Dare Not Walk Alone left me feeling unfulfilled and wanting to see something better. I would recommend the film to those looking to teach others about Civil Rights, racism in America, and the socio-economic divide that still keeps this nation separate and unequal, but for those well versed in the subject matter, you can easily find better movies out there.