West Of Memphis (Amy Berg, 2012) US

Reviewed by Cia. Viewed at the AFI Fest 2012

Produced by Peter Jackson, Damien Echols
Written by Amy J. Berg
Starring Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin (the West Memphis Three)
Music by Nick Cave, Warren Ellis (musician)
Studio WingNut Films
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

West of Memphis is an investigative documentary about the case in which three teenagers; Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were arrested for the murders of three 8-year old children; Christopher Byers, Steven Branch, and Michael Moore.

For the record, I didn’t know a thing going in.

West of Memphis starts from the beginning, revisiting the entire case, using original footage of interviews, photos, transcripts and materials used as evidence from the courtroom, extensive investigative interviews, as well as information from the original documentarians on the case; Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky and their trilogy Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills. The latter raising an immediate question – why is this being made if a trilogy already exists?

A flood of information is dealt to us like a full deck of cards, building the picture with the horrific stories around the murders. It is sickening to hear as we listen to them repeated over and over by several church going authorities with an overzealous enthusiasm for satanic crime.

Then we hear the voice over of a woman who talks about seeing the three convicted teens on the news and knew in her heart they were innocent. She decides she has to do something about it and that’s why she wanted to make the film. Is this the filmmaker? How does she know they are innocent? Soon we are shown an old photo of a convertible and a young woman crowned “winner” She tells us she made up a contest that didn’t exist and rode down the street crowning herself the winner. This is a very funny idea but if she’s the filmmaker, her credibility has just been compromised. She then claims that she knew Damien Echols was her soulmate and began writing him letters. Ok……. (my seat is dead center the house is packed) After this confusing bit of chronological who’s who, I finally am able to separate the identity of Lorris Davis, (the contest winner) who pursues a relationship with inmate Echols and is also a producer on the film, from that of Amy Berg, the director/filmmaker.

The pacing is logical, with occasional pauses to allow us a moment to digest each accumulation of facts. We are held to ponder these facts by a familiar musical score that is similar to TV docudrama shows- keeping a subtle ongoing intensity. But the actual story, the six boys that this film is about grips so tight, the layers of tragic elements create an intense necessity that drives us forward to know the truth.

The facts of this case and the story of injustice based on selfish political gain is outrageous. Berg is highly successful in delivering the facts and while I can’t stop thinking about how she got many of these facts from the other documentary, her investigation further is a major triumph combined with the actual bittersweet triumph when the three innocent men, after 18 years in prison are finally released.

The case is heart wrenching on many levels. While there is criticism regarding Hollywood figures involved in the film for purposes of self promotion, and it is indeed noticeable, this didn’t bother me. As for the bigger stars, I applaud and am grateful whenever the star machine works it’s magic effectively within the actual real world of the little people and social justice for humanity.

Which reminds me- what happened to Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky and their trilogy? I wonder what the relationship is here between West of Memphis and The Paradise Lost Trilogy. Perhaps someone will make an investigative documentary about that.

Amy Berg  is known best for her Academy Award-nominated documentary Deliver Us from Evil (2006). She also directed a 10-minute documentary film Polarized (2007), for Al Gore’s Live Earth Pledge.

 

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Published:
11.12.12 / 12pm
Category:
AFI Filmfest 2012, Documentary, Films