Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Tower Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 13, 2017

While the 1966 University of Texas Tower Shooting certainly isn’t the first act of gun violence in America, it’s largely recognized as a preamble to the world we live in today, where aggression and displays of armament feel like a weekly event. While it was far from an innocent time, occurring during the Vietnam War, the event, where Charles Whitman situated himself on the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and began shooting at students and staff with a small arsenal, joined various motivated murders to erode America’s innocence, commencing a new dawn in anytown-style catastrophe. “Tower” is a bold examination of the day’s events, but instead of strictly employing talking heads to understand increasing anxiety as Whitman commanded the area for 96 minutes, director Keith Maitland uses rotoscoped animation to replicate intensity and explore the scene, putting focus on those on the ground trying to survive a nightmarish and seemingly never-ending experience.

Instead of incurring the cost and demands of period replication, Maitland turns to digital animation to aid in his quest for authenticity, using a rotoscoping technique (animating over live-action footage) to help set the scene and take witness accounts wherever they need to go, without disturbing the actual setting for the mass-murder. It’s a smart way to reopen the story without exploiting it, creating almost an unreality to the documentary that helps to identify and appreciate individual stories, getting a feel for random encounters around the campus that would become critical as the 96 minutes wore on. “Tower” is a striking feature, using technology wisely and expressively, aging down the witnesses to flesh out their recollections, collected through modern-day interviews, while the picture as a whole is inspired by an oral history that appeared in a 2006 issue of Texas Monthly (written by Pamela Colloff). Period songs are employed and style of the times is showcased, but “Tower” excels at reuniting history with immediacy, returning focus on the victims, not Whitman, who is barely discussed during the film.

Perhaps most potent is the saga of Claire Wilson, a young pregnant woman taking summer classes on the campus, enjoying new love with boyfriend Tom. The first victim of the shooting, Tom was killed by a bullet while Claire was wounded, left to bleed out in broad daylight as a 100 degree day in Austin competed with gun violence in terms of cruel punishment. Claire couldn’t move, unsure what was going on and afraid to confront certain realities of her situation, but her exposure was soon softened by the appearance of Rita Starpattern, a lone woman instinctively entering the line of fire to tend to Claire, only to be overwhelmed by the danger herself. Lying on the boiling concrete, the pair created a fast friendship as Rita tried to comfort Claire and keep her conscious long enough to survive the ordeal.

Time is spent with John “Artly” Fox, a student struggling with fear and heat as he works up the courage to race to Claire and carry her to safety. “Tower” also manages the lives of police officers called in to confront Whitman, and radio personalities trying to communicate the urgency of the situation to a stunned public. There’s also the might of Allen Crum, a retired military man who approached the Tower after witnessing the shooting of a local paperboy on the street, eventually taking up arms and joining local police as they entered the danger zone, unsure what they would find inside. Actors make the most of the thespian challenge, but Maitland eventually returns to survivor testimony, permitting those who experienced the chaos firsthand a chance to confess their fear and untangle all the confusion, guilt, and grief they’ve been living with for the last five decades.

Tower Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a crisp viewing experience, with encouraging sharpness to best bring out the animation achievements, picking up screen textures and styles. Detail is also strong during interview segments, offering a clear overview of facial particulars and teary emotional responses. Primaries are alive, with stable, meaningful hues that handle the many moods of the effort with grace. Delineation is ideal. Banding periodically pops into view.

Tower Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix might seem small-time for a documentary, but the track has some hustle in it, examining the various voices that make up witness accounts, merging youthful actors with aged survivors. Sensitivity is easy to hear, keeping emotions bubbling, and enunciation isn't challenged. Scoring cues support without disturbance, and soundtrack cuts offer a bolder musical presence, helping to fill out low-end needs and surround activity. Atmospherics are important, positioning the listener on the campus, while shooting sound effects retain their sickening intent.

Tower Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "After the Screening: Q&As" (11:15, HD) collects footage from various Texas film festivals and spotlights, with director Keith Maitland, movie producers, and shooting survivors gathering to explore the feature in-depth with moviegoers. Careful mentions of gun violence are included, along with production origins, tributes to those who were lost, and a discussion of fears in the moment and ones that linger to this day.

• "Behind the Scenes: Animation" (all HD) presents a split-screen deconstruction of artistry, matching live-action cinematography to rotoscoping efforts, which covered for the production's use of empty lots and offices to stand in for the University of Texas at Austin campus. Creative endeavors are broken up into "Aleck Hernandez" (:49), "Allen Crum" (1:06), "Claire and Rita" (1:20), "Interview Animation Process" (1:34), and "McCoy and Martinez" (:45).

• "Character Profiles" (all HD) are featurettes spotlighting the participants of "Tower," highlighting personal history and cutting deeper into anxieties of the day and feelings of guilt thereafter. The snapshots are broken up into "Houston McCoy" (2:33), "John Fox" (3:26), "Monika McCoy" (2:23), "Neal Spelce" (2:30), "Ramiro 'Ray'Martinez" (2:49), "Aleck Hernandez" (3:05), "Allen Crum" (2:37), "Brenda Bell" (3:06), "Claire Wilson James" (3:46), and "David Crum" (1:39).

• "Memorial Dedication" (4:22, HD) is somewhat shocking, as it reveals a nearly 50-year-long journey to place a stone tribute to the murdered on the University of Texas at Austin campus, finally put into place in August, 2016. During the dedication ceremony, survivors share their memories of the day and tributes to the fallen.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:56, HD) is included.

Tower Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Again, "Tower" doesn't say much about Whitman, going deliberately vague about a monster with a rifle and a death wish who claimed mental illness for his actions in suicide notes. Maitland seems wary of dissecting evil, preferring to remain on the survivors, stitching together a portrait of endurance and heroism that often plays out as pure instinct, resulting in amazing stories of unity and bravery that are extremely emotional, displaying a primal need for humans to help one another out in the darkest of times. Maitland does tie the Tower Shooting to America's current woes with gun control and mental illness, making a distinct connection that's strong enough to fuel more debates on the unconquerable subject, and it's earned. "Tower" doesn't have all the answers, but it offers rare perspective on uncomfortable topics, adding to the overall education on U.S. violence and community, making sure viewers walk away from the documentary wiser about history, tragedy, and the human capacity for good. It's essential cinema.