Into The Abyss (Werner Herzog, 2011): Germany, Canada

Reviewed by Angelica Silva.  Viewed at AFI Fest 2011.

The documentary, Into the Abyss was one of the more interesting films that I watched. Director, Werner Herzog, gets to our hearts in this documentary. Herzog interviews the killers, victims families, victims friends, and people in between.

Even though these boys are stone cold killers, for some reason I still had a glimmer of sympathy for them. Being so young, and knowing hes going do die in only ten days, Michael Perry seems calm and knows hes “goin’ home”.

The interviews with the killers, Michael Perry and Jason Burkett are both very different. Herzog shows the police videos of the case and explains the stories in great detail. Perry and Burkett were both after one of their friends moms car. It was a ruby red Corvette.  The boys walked up to the house where the woman was and asked for her son. She said he was not there and Perry and Burkett ended up killing her. After dumping her body in Crater Lake; Texas. They then came back to the residents and realized they needed a gate key to enter the gated community. They saw the son and his friend of the woman. Knowing they would have a key, killed both boys and retrieved the key. They had the car for under 72 hours before Perry confessed to officials of what he and Burkett had done. Burkett with only a life sentence was also interviewed. He had killed a man over a suspicion of a girl that Burkett was with.

Interviews with Burketts father is also in prison for a 40 year sentence due to many factors of drugs, alcohol and theft. He blames most of his sons actions on himself for not being a good enough father. His father saved Burkett from getting the death sentence like Perry did. His dad made the miracle statement to the jury : He told the jury not to kill his son. Give him life, just not to kill his son. He claims two of the jury members were in tears. He believes they are the two women who saved his sons life from the death sentence. There were two who argued against capital punishment.

The “Captain of the Death House” explains his experience handling the death row inmates. He discusses the process. From what it seems, the inmate is treated very well on the day of execution. They get to shower, eat whatever they want, they can ask for more, and so on. There is a scheduled time for everything……

Sister of two of the victims is interviewed and explains her grief, depression and hate. She also shares the experience of how she actually went to the execution of Michael Perry. She said there was a big weight lifted off her shoulder that day and that she still misses her family who was killed that day, but she is at peace knowing the culprit is now gone.

 


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