Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 13, 2016

One of the talking heads in the sole supplemental featurette included on American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson states that the infamous white Ford Bronco chase was one of those “where were you when it happened” moments that was to his generation what “where were you when President Kennedy was assassinated?” was to an earlier generation. I’m not quite sure I buy that formulation (it seems to me the horrors of September 11, 2001 are probably more in line on the tragedy scale with the killing of a leader than the attempted flight of a former football star), but it raises a host of interesting questions nonetheless. Perhaps ironically, I personally can’t recall where exactly I was when the Bronco chase took over American television for several hours, though I was probably in New York City tying up the loose ends of the estate of a dear departed Uncle, for I clearly recall that I got into Manhattan on the morning that the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Brown were found and that I watched the unfolding coverage on the Today Show that morning. Like many who were around during this era, the “Simpson Show” became must watch television as the various events from the murders themselves to the interim period (including the Bronco chase), and ultimate arrest and trial of O.J. were covered in a breathless manner that broadcast television had never really experienced before. That almost unbelievably rabid response by the media is a major part of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, but it’s just one part, with the simmering disconnect between “all men are created equal” and the sad exigencies of actual “race relations” in the United States in general, and Los Angeles in particular, providing potent subtext (and actual text, as a matter of fact). This “limited series” opens with a montage of newsreel footage documenting all sorts of social unrest tied to various police handlings of events, including the infamous beating of Rodney King and the subsequent riots which enveloped Los Angeles, something that doesn’t just provide background, but ongoing context for what Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance) and the rest of the defense “Dream Team” would go on to exploit, ultimately winning O.J. (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) a not guilty verdict in the process (hopefully no major spoiler alerts are needed for this review). American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is an often viscerally thrilling ride (slow motion Bronco chases notwithstanding), but it suffers at times from what I might term “name dropping”, where future famous people (including folks who became famous because of their connection to O.J.) are quickly introduced with a telling use of their names, as if labeling them were enough to create a character. Still, the miniseries does present some fascinating data, including some twisted behind the scenes shenanigans that even inveterate “Simpson Show” watchers back in the day may not have been aware of.

Despite its penchant to recount the ins and outs of what happened over the almost insanely drawn out court proceedings once O.J. was finally wrangled into custody, something that American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson does in rather picayune detail, the miniseries probably finds its most compelling content in a number of behind the scenes dramas that play out as the nation (and indeed the world) became hooked on what was (and probably will remain) one of the biggest true life crime dramas in history. These include the personal traumas of Marcia Clark (a superb Sarah Paulson), who is attempting the navigate the roiling atmosphere of a divorce while also parenting her young children and managing the Simpson prosecution. Also kind of interesting, if not especially well written in the series, is the relationship between Johnnie Cochran and Christopher Darden (Sterling K. Brown), something that was by and large never really covered by the media during the trial itself, but which the miniseries suggests gave the entire gladiator ambience of the trial itself some pretty potent subtext.

The whole “racial” angle is played from any number of standpoints throughout the miniseries. One interesting thing is that despite hearing from Robert Shapiro (a rather bizarre John Travolta) and Robert Kardashian (David Schwimmer) that a promising route for acquittal would be to accuse the LAPD of racism, O.J. is hesitant, since he sees himself as a kind of sui generis figure and not one who is a “symbol” for being black. That of course changes, especially once the background of Mark Fuhrman (Steven Pasquale) comes into play. But one of the best elements of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is how it contextualizes the whole uneasy dynamic between blacks and the police in and around Los Angeles (and by implication, our entire nation), something that perhaps at least helps to explain a verdict that many (mostly whites, of course) found completely inexplicable.

A “ripped from the headlines” miniseries like this is almost bound to be an exercise in stunt casting, and the dividends are kind of hit or miss in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. My strongest reactions were definitely to Paulson as Clark and to a surprisingly vulnerable David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian. There are several times during this miniseries when Paulson tips her head at a certain angle and assumes a certain inflection and does an uncanny recreation of Clark, but she also gets the emotional subtext of the character right. Schwimmer portrays Kardashian as a devoutly religious guy who nonetheless sometimes comes off as a semi-desperate wannabe entrant into the inner circle, instead of an outlier in O.J.’s personal entourage. Courtney Vance is also strong if a bit on the hammy side (probably appropriately so) as Johnnie Cochran. While Sterling K. Brown does good work as Christopher Darden, I found some of the overwrought writing to actually get in the way of a solid presentation of this character. Less convincing are Travolta as Shapiro and a rather peculiar choice of Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey. Gooding’s O.J. hits excellent notes of both despair and defiance along the way, but his physical demeanor just never quite captures O.J.’s hulking grace.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (largely) in 1.78:1. Once again the IMDb contains no data for the camera used on this shoot, but a podcast featuring cinematographer Nelson Cragg suggests the Arri Alexa was utilized. The miniseries has the sleek if occasionally just slightly flat look of this technology, with excellent detail and fine detail levels when normal lighting supports the imagery. Fine detail is excellent, especially in some extreme close-ups (take a look at the crags on Bruce Greenwood's face in screenshot 4 for just one example). There is occasional slight if noticeable color grading employed at times, with brown tones being emphasized a lot of the time, especially in the courtroom sequences. Occasional actual archival video footage is utilized which understandably often looks pretty ragged. (In a weird lack of consistency, some archival footage is anamorphically stretched to 1.78:1 proportions while other footage is kept at or near 1.33:1.) While the miniseries doesn't really offer a lot of opportunity for "wow" visuals, there's commendable sharpness and clarity throughout the presentation and no problems to address in this review.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson features a workmanlike DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which, somewhat like the video component, doesn't have a ton of opportunities for true "wow" moments. Instead, immersion tends to come in fits and starts like in scenes featuring cacophonous press conferences or some of the noisier arguments in the trial sequences. Dialogue is always presented very cleanly and clearly and rarely if ever has much if anything to compete with in the prioritization sweepstakes.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Both of the supplements on this release are found on Disc Three of this three disc set.

• Past Imperfect: The Trial of the Century (1080p; 29:00) is an obvious promotional piece that features interviews with the likes of Jeffrey Toobin.


• Facts of the Case: An Interactive Timeline (1080p) is a series of screens with various data points, many of which have playable video clips.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's obvious that American Crime Story is using its production team link to American Horror Story, at least with regard to its branding strategy, but the two properties of course could not be more different. This first "at bat" for the series is often fascinating, but it also suffers from some overwrought writing and a kind of patently ridiculous "spot the future star" gambit on the part of some supporting characters. Several of the central performances are top notch and the miniseries is generally well, if floridly, directed. The miniseries has already taken home several technical Emmys and has a bevy of additional nominations. Technical merits are strong, and even without much in the way of supplements, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson comes Recommended.