Into The Abyss (2011/IFC/MPI Blu-ray)
Picture: B+ Sound: B Extras: C Film: A
Werner Herzog’s dark rumination on the death penalty and the human
cost of murder pulls no punches. Into The Abyss is a documentary
explores the case of a triple-homicide in Conroe, Texas. More than ten years ago, 50-year-old Sandra
Stotler was murdered in her home by then 18-year-old Michael Perry. The reason? He and his accomplice Jason Burkett wanted to
steal the woman’s red Camaro for a joy ride. Later that night, Ms. Stotler’s son James Adam
Stotler and his friend Arnold Jeremy Richardson were also murdered. Witness testimony and strong forensic
evidence tied both men to those murders as well, but Mr. Burkett was the man
the prosecution focused most strongly on for them, and he received a life
sentence for the crimes. Mr. Perry
received a death sentence for the murder of Ms. Stotler, and was executed by
lethal injection on 1 July 2010 in Huntsville, Texas.
As one might expect, both men maintain their innocence. Each blamed the other. While adamantly opposed
to the death penalty itself, Mr. Herzog’s film does not focus on the details of
the case, or whether either man might actually be innocent. Rather, he uses the time he spent interviewing
both men, and the families of the victims and others associated with the case,
to count the cost of capital murder and the punishment meted out for those
crimes. He explores the country landscapes of Conroe, Texas itself. His painterly filmmaking style transforms the
downtrodden town into another important figure in the film. Was it the general malaise and lack of
opportunity existing in Conroe that contributed to these senseless killings?
In spite of the horrible tide of banality unleashed by the scourge of
reality television, great documentarians like Mr. Herzog still play an
important role in bringing real stories like this to the audience’s
attention. Into The Abyss opens with an absolutely riveting and gut-wrenching
interview with a death row chaplain. In his own unique and disarming manner,
Mr. Herzog (who never appears on camera throughout the entire film) evokes an
incredibly moving moment from this holy man who has witnessed hundreds of
deaths. That’s how Mr. Herzog works his
magic. He utilizes simple interview
techniques like a well-placed followup question to reveal the humanity of his
subjects.
The film might be Mr. Herzog’s most spartan and spare work to
date. With limited narration, he lets
the real people he interviews tell the story. Pop-up captions provide additional details
where necessary, but this lean style does create a bit of information
deprivation. The details of the case
unwind slowly, and some remain vague throughout. The fact that each murderer blames the other
for the crimes is not made clear until very late in the film. This is an important detail in the case, and
might have warranted a pop-up caption earlier on.
The 1080p 1.78 X 1 image is very consistent throughout and lossless DTS-MA
5.1 mix is as good as a documentary ios gpoing to get, so the combination holds
together well. Despite any weaknesses, Into The Abyss remains a powerful film.
Not Mr. Herzog’s best, but an artful
documentary not to be missed those both pro and anti-capital punishment.
- Scott Pyle
