Review of Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2012) by David S — 24 Feb 2012

Having followed the other two documentaries in the series -- the first being eye-opening and infuriating (even with awareness to the topic beforehand) while the follow-up is an unremarkable addition made simply to keep the topic and its subjects (!!!) alive -- PL3: Purgatory finally has something more to discuss as the fates of the three innocents framed of a ghastly, grisly triple murder of minor boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993 is finally revealed.

The unbelievable case -- well documented in the first Lost feature -- gained plenty of noteriety and the support of some Hollywood hard-hitters (such as Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh of The Lord of the Rings fame) which probably helped these boys -- now men nearly 20 years later!!! -- overcome a corrupt system by allowing them to enter an Alford plea, an unusual judicial anamoly that allows them to assert their innocence of the case while "acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict" which keeps these victims from ever being able to see resititution for the state/county/courts for their wronged AND stolen lives! The West Memphis 3 have gotten a lot of press over the years as it is one of the most visible cases of blantent framing of three misunderstood youths (who looked different than us, liked to wear black and listened to loud music etc!) who became a scapegoat for an unimaginable evil -- that MOST disturbinly -- is still out there! Nobody is now behind bars for the horrific murder of three very young boys although there appears to be ample evidence to put someone away (one of the boy's stepfathers has mounds of evidence pointing his way!).

To borrow a summation from What Culture's Shaun Munro, "the third film, an inarguably powerful knockout punch, reminds us of the documentary film's power to changed people's lives." We oftentimes think of a documentary being about a musician or a dancer or an unspeakable war; but Purgatory shows us that lives can be changed and altered with well-intentioned use of a camera! The subject matter is still disturbing and still upsetting but it does provide "some" closure for a loyal viewer of what is/was to become the Three.

Justice has not come about and been served for the real murderers; but that will be another story.