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Where's Jimmy Hoffa? (1992)
R0 - America - MPI Home Video Review written by and copyright: Jari Kovalainen (21st July 2008). |
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The Film
 John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy. The list of prominent figures assassinated in America during the turbulent 1960s. It was also in 1964 when the known American labour leader Jimmy Hoffa was convicted and jailed (for attempted bribery), after a long and bitter feud with (then Attorney General) Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy. Many feel that Hoffa deserved it, but some even called him a “political prisoner”. At least the law was bent on both sides. As the elected president of the “International Brotherhood of Teamsters” (from 1957), Hoffa had done plenty of good for the regular workingman in the country, but his tough methods were often controversial. There were various accusations (especially with the use of Teamster money, since the expressions like “Mafia bank” were used) and also rumours about the mob´s involvement over the union. Whatever the truth was, Hoffa had real power in his hands - and with power, you´ll also get plenty of enemies. Many feel that power was something that Hoffa had too much of. This was proven right on July 30, 1975, when the then already communed (and then out of the union´s inner circle) Hoffa disappeared in Michigan. His car was found abandoned, but Hoffa was never to be seen again. After years of investigations, empty leads, rumours and conspiracy theories, people can only agree on one thing; like several others before him, he was murdered. Who did it? We will probably never know. “Where's Jimmy Hoffa?” documentary tries to shed some light on the possible reasons and motives eventually leading to his disappearance, but it also tells the story of a workaholic and “tough SOB”, who lived and died (literally) for the labour union that he, in most parts, built through the difficult times. It´s safe to say that he never backed down for anybody, for better or worse. At the peak of his career, Hoffa got almost universal loyalty for the people he represented and a big part of the entire country was under common contract. Everything comes with a price, though, so the documentary also focuses on the infamous “Hoffa vs Bobby Kennedy” feud and the accusations and charges that followed. It´s said that, among the members of the Mafia and other union officials, even the United States government is listed as one of “Hoffa´s enemies”. In the end, the story of Hoffa is quite a typical “rise and fall”-type of story. The documentary is mostly built over the “talking heads”, so the interviews from the biographers, historians, ex-labour officers and the like keep the story of Hoffa going. In-between these various interviews, we´ll see some vintage newsreels and film footage, where the man himself can be seen and heard in person (you can, e.g., see the snippet where he calls Bobby Kennedy a “spoiled brat” and some footage when he returns from prison). There´s also dramatic narration (in the form of the news reports) when the documentary focuses on the day of the disappearance, giving an eerie feel to the whole story. After all, it´s always quite horrifying when someone (even the controversial figure like Hoffa) just disappears without a real trace. Of course we hear some theories that might have happened (one quite popular one is that Hoffa was just shot and loaded off to an unknown destination), along with some urban legends (such as his body being buried in the New York Giants Stadium and that some people have seen Hoffa alive - a bit like Elvis). No graphical elements are used in the documentary, which is probably just good news (since the name captions already looked old-ish). “Where's Jimmy Hoffa?” is not a definitive documentary (and it feels a bit dated now) of the notorious Labour union leader, but I found it surprisingly informative, entertaining and captivating. Interviews are genuinely interesting. Hoffa was part of the American history - whether you approve of the man and his methods or not (documentary doesn´t really take sides), and the documentary gives a good history lesson and at least that starting point when it comes to the keywords “Hoffa”, “Teamsters”, “Labour Union” - even “Mafia” and “Kennedys”. What comes to the original question in the title, we only get vague speculation of, at best, but then again this documentary works better as a biography, rather than a “whodunit”-type of crime story. Many believe that the faith of Jimmy Hoffa will always stay as a mystery. At least that is the case after this documentary.
Video
The documentary is presented in 4:3. The source material can be roughly divided to two groups: Interviews made in the early 1990s and the vintage (often b&w) newsreel/film footage. There are also old photos. The interviews obviously fare better, but they´re still soft and dull, with colours partly washed out. I would say that they´re taken from the videotape (e.g. “Betacam SP”), since they clearly look dated. Some of the older footage is most likely from the “Kinescope” sources (“a recording of a TV program made by filming the picture from a video monitor with 16 mm or 35 mm film camera”) and look decent (still some dirt and artifacts). The whole documentary is still quite clean, so no major complaints on that front. “Single layer” disc is coded “R0” and runs 84:15 minutes (NTSC). 18 chapters.
Audio
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is the only audio track (back cover claims “Stereo”) and there are optional English subtitles. Mono-track is just fine, with interviews being clear and understandable. Whilst the sound in the old film footage is not on par with that of the interviews, they´re also blending in. Basic documentary stuff, but still well made.
Extras
No extras.
Overall
While “Where's Jimmy Hoffa?” could´ve been a more in-depth biography and richer in terms of the footage (I´m sure there are more vintage footage of the man in the various archives), it´s a very good place to start. At least the newcomers should be intrigued. In 2008 this documentary already looks a bit old, but the interviews are still very valid. Technical aspects of the DVD won´t make you jump through the roof, but everything is still quite passable. For more info, please visit the homepage of MPI Home Video.
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