Brad Lichtenstein’s five-year project When Claude Got Shot tells the story of Claude Motely, a Milwaukee native who was shot in the jaw during a failed carjacking and miraculously survived. This exceptional documentary takes us on Claude’s journey of recovery, justice, and struggle, and will be available for streaming worldwide on Saturday, February 5 through the New Jersey Film Festival.
The viewer is transported into the story world from the moment the film starts. Claude, the survivor of a random carjacking-turned-shooting in Milwaukee, tells the story of how he got shot. His narration is accompanied by pictures from the scene, and it pretty perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film: this story does not shy away from tough moments, subjects, or experiences. A lot of this is informed by Claude’s relationship with Lichtenstein, as the two have been friends for many years. In fact, their friendship is a huge benefit to the telling of this story; we get to see everything from Claude’s law school graduation, to him finding out that his shooter was 15-year-old Nathan King, just one week after the incident occurred.
The closeness between Claude and Lichtenstein also gave us a better look at Claude’s family life. His wife Kim acts as an important character throughout the film, legally representing her husband’s battle for justice and acting as an unwavering pillar of strength amidst such a life-altering event. She is truly remarkable in every way, and I think this film pays a beautiful homage to her path of coping with the near-death experience of her husband. In a super emotionally charged argument between Claude and Kim, we watch as they try to figure out discrepancies with their insurance while they pay off medical bills, student loans, and all the other expenses of life. Their disagreement was powerful and uncut, and paints a very clear picture of the long-term financial impact a senseless shooting can have, a facet of recovery I really hadn’t thought about before watching this film.
Another facet of the shooting aftermath that I hadn’t considered is the fact that the victim might feel guilt for seeking justice. Claude faces internal conflict because although he is the victim of a shooting, his shooter is a victim of circumstance. He immediately shows compassion for Nathan’s position, and really puts an emphasis on Milwaukee being a city that people try to get their sons out of because there isn’t a lot of hope for them there. In a really emotional turning point in the film, Claude recognizes that his former desire to make an example out of Nathan for crime and violence amongst young men and Milwaukee at large had unintentionally turned into less of a judgment of environment so much as of the boy himself. Kim plays a huge role as Claude’s voice of reason in this moment, and she mentions the staggering statistic that half of Black men under the age of 30 are imprisoned in Milwaukee.
This mentality was shared by another woman, Victoria Davison, who Lichtenstein introduces us to as another of Nathan’s attempted carjacking victims. When the boy approached Davison outside of her home, she pulled out her gun and shot him, rendering him paralyzed from the waist down. Although she is technically a survivor of an attack, she expresses remorse for hurting Nathan, a boy just a few years older than her oldest son. Davison’s involvement in the film is emotional and heartwrenching, and she provides a really intimate look at the long-term effects the incident has had on her and her family.
Davison’s relation to Claude’s story helps to create a fuller picture of what happened to our protagonist, but Lichtenstein goes even further by getting Nathan’s mother, Regina, on tape. This is a powerful choice on the filmmaker’s part, effectively eliminating a lot of the bias the film could have taken on and providing a context to Nathan’s life outside of the shooting.
Yet nothing could have prepared me for the film’s end, where Claude meets with Nathan in a monumental moment for both men. Nathan, now incarcerated, refers to Claude as a sort of father figure and expresses a deep regret for his actions and how he harmed Claude. The closure in this moment, however hard-earned, is a testament to the growth and healing that defined Claude’s journey from the moment he was shot. He is a man who recognizes how lucky he was to survive such a horrific event, and it is remarkable to see his story play out to a hopeful end. Be sure to watch When Claude Got Shot on Saturday, February 5 through the New Jersey Film Festival.
When Claude Got Shot screens at the Spring 2022 New Jersey Film Festival on February 5!To buy tickets click here.
The New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2022 will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between January 28 and February 20, 2022. As a result of COVID our Festival will be a virtual one again this Spring. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. More info is available here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalspring2022.eventive.org/welcome
