Werner Herzog's latest stunning documentary explores the human cost of crime and its consequences, following the moving story of Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, two young men who were found guilty of three capital murders. Perry was executed eight days after filming commenced while Burkett was sentenced only to life in prison. Unraveling the legacy left by the crimes from separate viewpoints, including the victim's families and prison staff, Herzog's masterful exploration of life on Death Row shows the devastating effects on all involved. Winner of the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at this year's London Film Festival, Into The Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life is poignant, lyrical, and ranks among the director's finest works to date.
Film Crew
- : Werner Herzog
- : Werner Herzog
- : Peter Zeitlinger
- : Henry Fleming Wood
- : Werner Herzog
- : Mark De Gli Antoni
- : Joe Bini
- : Eric Spitzer
Technical Information
- Couleur
- English
Keywords
Images
Videos
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The paradox of this film is that it is both unremittingly bleak and rigorously humane. Mr. Herzog, interviewing killers, survivors, witnesses and officials in law enforcement and corrections, is polite even when asking uncomfortable questions, and the seriousness of his intentions allows humor and absurdity to bubble up amid all the pain.
A.O.Scott, The New York Times -
Into the Abyss is a transcendent, tragicomic masterpiece. By focusing on one crime in one small corner of Texas, Herzog forces us to contemplate the absurdity and the preciousness of life as well as what it means to be human.
Film 4 -
A haunting portrayal of people who are neither completely innocent nor wholly evil, and the terrible price of killing, whether in the pursuit of a sports car or in the name of justice.
Philip Wilding, Empire Magazine
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