HOLD YOUR FIRE is a documentary about a 1973 robbery/hostage situation in Brooklyn that began the process of using "hostage negotiation" rather than brute force to resolve these sorts of incidents. In addition to having people describe the process used, the filmmakers also interviewed some of the police officers involved (both directly and indirectly), hostages (or their families), lawyers, and so on. What results is, among other things, a totally contradictory account of what happened, what was said, what attitudes there were at the time, and so on. (For example, one policeman said there was no racism in the NYPD at the time, while one of the robbers said the police were always harassing African-Americans.

Released theatrically 20 May 2022; available on various streaming services. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10

Film Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15196796/reference

What others are saying: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hold_your_fire_2021

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2022 Mark R. Leeper