West Of Memphis (Amy Berg, 2012): USA

Reviewed by Tarence Glasker. Viewed on November 5 at the AFI Filmfest 2012.

After watching this documentary i will always look back and question myself on what really happened in Memphis between the three 18 year old boys Damien Nichols, Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and the three 8 year old kids who where murdered during the early 1990’s. The three teenage boys fought through a unfair trail because of the the fact they matched the description of average criminal punks and were accused of using satanic practices during the murder which was highly not tolerated  in Memphis. Damien ended facing the death penalty because he was claimed to be the leader of the crime while Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin had life in jail for their sentence.

This documentary shows use the second part behind this crazy puzzle that later unfolds. As Amy Berg and the rest of the west Memphis community join together to go back into the once forgotten story to dig up the real dirt behind the crime and save Damien from his death sentence and the other boys from their life sentence. West of Memphis is the continuing of Paradise Lost with a new ending of the release of the three men who suffered a false trail. Its almost unfair as you witness how the government can try to hide and throw away evidence because they did not go through all their proper steps and judged the trail off of emotion instead of evidence like they are suppose to. This is not the only time this has happened in our history if you go back all the way to the pilgrim ages of witch craft trails or even some to this recent day. Although that is just how our United States government works because they cant over turn their mistakes but they can go back and fix them to move on as they have other thing to deal with day and day out.

The main problem that stuck out as the documentary ends is that even thought Damien and  Amy Berg are free to live their lives together, same as the other two men who where freed. Justice was still not served to solve the case of the three murdered boys who may have possibly been murdered by one of the step fathers Terry Hobbs. Although the law cannot bring back up the same case twice once it has been closed and their isn’t enough evidence to reopen. Leaving the community not in peace but puzzled on who deserves punishment.