Werner Herzog for me is one of the most interesting directors working today seamlessly flitting between violent Nic Cage films like Bad Lieutenant to thoughtful documentaries such as last year's Cave of Forgotten Dreams and the next film on this list Into the Abyss. The film deals with death row inmates but interestingly Herzog gives very little of his own opinion on whether the death penalty is right or wrong. His particular focus Michael Perry who is to be executed in just over a week's time from Herzog interviewing him because of his part in a triple homicide in which he took the life of Sandra Stotler as he wanted to steal her car to go on a joyride. Perry was suspected of the other two murders however he blames accomplice Jason Burkett, who received a life sentence, for these other two deaths. Burkett's story is also covered in some detail as Herzog interviews his father, also a prisoner, whose testimony essentially saved his son from the same fate as Perry. Herzog separates the film into chapters looking at the crime, the town of Conroe in Texas where the crimes were committed and the loneliness of serving a life sentence. He meets a death row guard as well as a priest who has given many last rites to prisoners before they are executed both of whom take us through their duties in graphic detail. Possibly the most interesting part of the story is of the woman who was writing to Burkett in prison then realised she was in love with him they eventually married and she is now pregnant with his child who according to her is a result of artificial insemination.
Unlike other Herzog films Into the Abyss doesn't feature the director on screen and it is as if he is keeping his contribution to a minimum providing only questions rather than narration with the facts here being presented via words on the screen. Right from the start Herzog states he's not there to pass judgment on Perry but at the same time isn't his friend and this comes through in the cold interviewing process of the prisoners. Though there are a lot of emotional interviews with members of the victims' families for me the most interesting subjects are the men who have worked heavily in death row. The message of the film seems to be that at the end of the day nobody benefits from the death penalty even if that man did murder three people. This is seen through an interview with Sandra's mother conducted after Perry's interview in which she says that she thought she would feel different now the man who killed her mother also died but it hasn't made things any better in the long run. Herzog's point was that the man who has been punished more severely is Berkett who won't be out of prison till he's an old man so will miss seeing his child grow up and will probably lose his wife at some stage. This was a well-made and well-produced documentary however at times I felt that it started to tread old ground and Herzog had to work hard to make the material stretch across the 100 or so minute running time.
Verdict: An interesting documentary about death row inmates that feels a little stretched at times but still has the brilliant Herzog behind it I'll give it a very strong 7.5/10
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