Whitman (DVD Edition)

Presented in an unusually narrow “widescreen effect,” Evan Strobel’s Whitman strives to become a cinematic accomplishment by 3DMM standards. Complete with a “based on a true story” tagline, an almost completely original soundtrack compiled by Ramza Brave (a.k.a. Andrew Thomas), and thoughtful camera trickery, Strobel nears the “silver screen level” but falls just a few paces short, though don‘t let that fool you---Whitman is still a fantastic piece of work.

The story for which Whitman is based dates back to 1966 when psychotic Charles Whitman seized the Texas University Tower and played sniper for 96 minutes, killing bystanders from his position 307 feet above.

Whitman opens before this event with a monologue (spoken in the uninspired, monotone voice of Jeremy Dick), taken from a real letter Charles Whitman had written, where the man admits he is slowly succumbing to insanity. This cuts to his eventual overtaking of the tower with a flashback or two letting us in on exactly what led up to it. A couple deaths later, law enforcement finally arrives and infiltrates the tower, ensuing a showdown with the murderer.

While the resulting climax is flimsy and the voice acting humdrum, Whitman still proves enjoyable with its show of effortlessly harnessing drama in the camera angle (unskilled directors take note). Ramza Brave’s music, which emits its own dark ambiance, hits home with equal precision and shows us the possibilities of making a movie with an original composed score.

Whitman may not be perfect, but a lot of movies should be more like it; it’d make the viewing experience much more pleasurable than it usually is.

80 out of 100