Review of Into the Abyss (2011) by Lorenzo V — 12 Jul 2012

"I don't think human beings should be executed. Simple as that".

Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.

REVIEW.

He's taken us into a forgotten cave; alongside bears; to the end of the world; and now Werner Herzog takes us straight into the mind of a madman, in a documentary about what causes people to kill and what society's attitude to such people should be. Documentaries tend to stand back from their topics; Herzog gets right up under their nose. At times I felt Herzog was oblivious to his audience, as though trying to satisfy his own curiosity. And that's why he has always been highly respected: his selfishness is the key to his charity. All interviews are incredibly moving, not just because almost all involve tears, but because I felt that interviewees had nothing else to reveal and what they did reveal was utterly sincere. This docu-drama uses actual police footage of the crime scenes which, when accompanied by an austere soundtrack, gives the film a sombre, eerie tone. There's no doubt about it: the crimes were heinous. Both Perry and Burkett blamed each other. Both denied involvement. What's clear is that the crimes were unprovoked and victims perished needlessly. (We're led to believe that people were murdered for the sake of a red sports car.) Although Herzog states unequivocally that he is anti-capital punishment, he never proselytises; he produces an equal account of the merits and pitfalls of state-sponsored execution and, like any objective filmmaker, allows his audience the final say.