Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer

The movie jacket claims this film is along the lines of Michael Moore's Roger and Me and Errol Morris' The Thin Blue Line, I wouldn't go that far. This film uncovers the injustice Aileen received throughout her legal process, but it was lacking stylistically. The lighting was poor, unnecessary pauses distracted the viewer from the content of the interviews, and the editing could have been cleaner. Regardless of these stylistic faults, the film's subject matter carries the film, that and Wuornos's chillingly perceptive outbursts in court. This woman's story--told correctly--is a valuable lesson to Americans and brings to light the need to reform the criminal justice system, which for Aileen, was corrupt on every level.

This film, and Broomfield's follow up, should be viewed by anyone who wants to reexamine their feelings about capital punishment. Wurous is abused by everyone, obviously at least half mad, and in a state of terror at being incarcerated. A ghoulish group of hanger ons try to exploit her at every turn (interestingly, the lawyer is given a questionable reprieve in the sequel) and even grease her path to the electric chair. The system to takes a crack at exploiting her "fame."

Some dismiss Broomfield's work as egocentric and cheap shot ridden; I find it honest and actually quite compassionate. I think he was derided for presenting an unflattering portrait of the then in vogue Courtney Love. Well, looks like he was right on that one too.

This is, I think, his strongest film. But see the sequel too; one the grim jokes turn themselves inside out.

Why is it that Aileen Wuornos wasn't even the biggest monster in this documentary? She killed a few men, yes, and there's no getting around that, but her attorney, Steve Glazer, and her "adopted parent" Arlene Pralle, were absolutely despicable. I can't believe I watched a documentary about a serial killer and I was angriest at the killer's attorney and new found friend.

This titillating, albeit a bit amateurish, documentary focuses on the greed surrounding Aileen Wuornos, alleged killer of seven men in Florida. You may have seen her portrayed in the movie "Monster" for which Charlize Theron was awarded an Oscar.

The two worst people in this documentary, as I mentioned, were Steve Glazer and Arlene Pralle. Steve Glazer was a musician turned lawyer and he was bad at both. Except if you're bad at music people can boo you off the stage or turn your demo off. If you're bad as a criminal defense attorney your client gets put in the electric chair as Wuornos was. Steve Glazer spent the entire documentary smiling and singing as though he didn't have a care in the world. It was all too vexing to see his smug, self-righteous, predatory face every shot with a s--- eating grin, singing a stupid song, or justifying his pathetic lawyering.

After him was Arlene Pralle. She looked like a missing member of the Manson Family. She looked utterly vapid and vacuous, and she had a voice to match. In all of her Born Again wisdom she convinced Aileen to plead no contest which was tantamount to pleading guilty. She and Steve ushered Aileen to death row as though they were doing the Lord's work. If that didn't make her repulsive enough, she also sought to make money off of Aileen like many others had. She was a horrible human being and she was too dumb to know.

We didn't get to see much of Aileen that wasn't archived footage. It would've been nice to hear her fully explain what she'd been through and what she'd done. No one will ever know the complete truth, but I'd like to hear from her a lot more than the slimy people she found herself attached to.

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1993)

*** (out of 4)

Good documentary from Nick Broomfield has the filmmaker trying to secure an interview with Aileen Wuornos, the Florida woman convicted of killing seven men as she was working as a prostitute. The story became (wrongly) known as the first female serial killer but the filmmaker quickly learns that those around here supposedly looking after her best interest are actually just trying to milk money from the case. This includes her lawyer Steve Glazer as well as Arlene Pralle, the woman who adopted Wuornos soon after she was arrested. This is a pretty fascinating documentary on many levels and I do wonder if Broomfield's original intent was just to make a documentary on Wuornos and then while doing it he discovered how others were just using her to make money for themselves. While there's a quick interview with Wuornos at the end of the documentary, the main focus here is the lawyer as well as the adopted mother. Right from the start you can tell that there's something really wrong with these people and especially when they make Wuornos change her pleas simply because of coming clean to God and going home. This is just the start of things because Broomfield soon uncovers that perhaps even the police are in on this just so they could get movie deals. I really liked the way Broomfield interviewed both parties on their connections to the case and it was really fascinating that no one could see through this lawyer while all the court stuff was going on. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that Wuornos didn't get what she deserved for her crimes but at the same time those around her shouldn't have been benefiting from her case, life and eventual death.

"Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer" is a disturbing documentary in which no one comes out in a positive light: not the police, not the lawyers, not the judges, not the media, certainly not Aileen Wuornos and not even the filmmakers.

This documentary by Nick Broomfield is unfocused, and the filmmaker and his small crew are often part of the saga. It paints a rather grim picture, where police are more concerned about possible movie deals than arresting the right person (although they did have the right person, almost by accident), where lawyers are slime buckets even when masquerading as laid back rejects from the '60s and '70s "flower power" era, and where people who claim to be spiritual and doing "God's work" come out looking no less mercenary or self-serving than anyone else (well, except maybe the killer and the sleazy lawyer).

Filmmaker Broomfield doesn't give us nearly as many facts as you might expect - and in this case, even wish for - in a documentary of this type. Much of the film consists of him traipsing around with his small film crew, trying to convince somebody to talk to him. He seems often to miss the point, and doesn't ask the most relevant or probing questions. I never could decide, while watching this film, how much of that was on purpose, for effect, and how much was just him not doing a very good job. It does add to the overall dark impression in the film, that few people really know the truth, know what's going on, and that fewer still care...

Interesting in places, disturbing in others, downright scary if you come out of this believing this is how the criminal justice system works (or not) in this country, Broomfield's film is certainly thought provoking, if somewhat confused and lacking focus.