Gruesome Murder And It’s Ugly Aftermath The Focus Of This Documentary
By ALAN SAMUEL
Justice is blind. So the saying goes. Troubles in the deep south rise up in full force in West of Memphis. Set in 1994 this stark documentary recounts how a murder turned a town inside out. From Sony Pictures Classics and Mongrel Media this must see 147 minute story is now unravelling at the International Village Cinemas in downtown Vancouver.
Don’t let the long running time fool you. Director and co-writer Amy Berg masterfully fills us in on a horrific murder from the past whose repercussions would last for almost two decades. Here all the attention centers on the vicious killing of three young kids and the three slightly older boys charged with the crime.
Thanks to the sleuthing of the local police charged and found guilty of the vile act of sadistic murders were Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Wayne Echols. Through interviews with the key players in the trial we see how doubts began and how ultimately a concerted effort by some concerned citizens led to a retelling of the whole story.
People who enjoy crime shows like C.S.I. and Criminal Minds will find it even more engaging when a true story like West of Memphis gets told. Crack investigative work takes us back in time to re explore all that went on in the original trial and the other potential (?) murderers who may have actually done the act. Some 17 years in jail saw the effects of time on these boys who always believed they were innocent. Too bad it took those many years for the authorities to reboot the case thanks to public pressure and an emerging PR campaign aided and abetted by the likes of producer Peter Jackson, Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp.
Fast justice can lead to miscarriages of justice and West of Memphis should be a case study in the travesty of rushes to justice. Political opportunism and cronyism is a dangerous thing and this film reveals how innocent people can be trampled down and literally discarded when a corrupt system rules the day.
Highly emotional and full of pent-up suspense, West of Memphis faithfully examines a cause celebre trail and the importance of new scientific methods to re-evaluate evidence. Despite its documentary nature, this movie tells an important tale and the importance of following your heart even when the whole world seems to be running against you.
