The Bottom Line
Imagine being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Getting arrested for a crime you did not commit. Facing trial and finding yourself charged with a heinous crime.
Imagine the sentence: Death.
Imagine your life slipping away, your soul eaten away, your body wasting away as you are subjected the abuse, torture and injustice that is life on death row. No hope of freedom. No chance for vindication. Only the certainty that you will be put to death...despite your innocence.
Imagine the sentence: Death.
Imagine your life slipping away, your soul eaten away, your body wasting away as you are subjected the abuse, torture and injustice that is life on death row. No hope of freedom. No chance for vindication. Only the certainty that you will be put to death...despite your innocence.
Pros
- Powerful true stories that call our justice system into question
- Strong argument against the death penalty
- Takes an unflinching position at the intersection of race and capital punishment
- All-star acting talent
- Lack of scenery/plain black background ensures you become riveted to each of the tragic life stories
Cons
- Lack of scenery / plain black background resembles a stage and might not appeal to all viewers
Description
- This movie should be required viewing
- Powerful all-star cast
- Real-life script taken from actual interviews and letters
Guide Review - The Exonerated Film Website
I'm not one to easily cry while I watch movies, even if I am in my own home. But as I watched this film I grew overwhelmed with emotions: sorrow for the many losses experienced by these innocent Americans; shock to learn that our justice system could fail any of us in a life or death scenario; and, anger -- anger because, as in so many other areas of life, race, or more specifically racism, plays such an important role in wrongful arrests, wrongful decisions, wrongful sentences, and ultimately, wrongful deaths.
I'd always been on the fence about capital punishment -- never feeling strongly enough one way or the other. This movie pushed me further in the direction of being anti-capital punishment, particularly for first time offenders.
The script is powerful: every line is taken from an actual letter or interview with the six individuals who spent year after year on death row. One of the six is put to death; his story has become a symbol of the cruelty that is the death sentence -- not just because he was innocent, but because a malfunction in the electric chair meant it took several tries and horrific results before he was, at last, pronounced dead.
The script is shocking: despite exoneration, several continued to sit in prison for 10 or more years due to administrative blockages.
The script is beautifully brought to life: an all-star cast includes Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Aidann Quinn, and other talented actors.
I'd always been on the fence about capital punishment -- never feeling strongly enough one way or the other. This movie pushed me further in the direction of being anti-capital punishment, particularly for first time offenders.
The script is powerful: every line is taken from an actual letter or interview with the six individuals who spent year after year on death row. One of the six is put to death; his story has become a symbol of the cruelty that is the death sentence -- not just because he was innocent, but because a malfunction in the electric chair meant it took several tries and horrific results before he was, at last, pronounced dead.
The script is shocking: despite exoneration, several continued to sit in prison for 10 or more years due to administrative blockages.
The script is beautifully brought to life: an all-star cast includes Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Aidann Quinn, and other talented actors.