Review of Into the Abyss (2011) by Jeffrey M — 19 Apr 2013
Werner Herzog is certainly one of the most influential documentary filmmakers of our time, and Into the Abyss represents his examination of the criminal justice system. Like his past documentaries, he does a great job of getting his subjects to say insightful and penetrating, things on screen, with emotional breakdowns commonplace. This is Herzog's greatest strength, getting to the key emotional and political undertones.
The film is often compelling in many of these interviews, with the execution guard testimony being unforgettable. The problem with the documentary, however, is that it simply felt too detached. Herzog's the king of long camera takes, but he indulges that too much here. The story is told, but in too cold of a way, and often confusing. The film itself was also a bit slow, meandering too much after appearing to make a point. In this way, it wasn't always as engaging as Herzog's other efforts, often feeling more tedious than interesting.
Still, it has a lot of interesting things to say, and is worth a watch for any interested in the subject.
3/5 Stars.
This review of Into the Abyss (2011) was written by Jeffrey M on 19 Apr 2013.
Into the Abyss has generally received positive reviews.
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