The Last Word

This movie left me chilled to the bone. I have seen documentaries about wrongful convictions and eyewitness errors but never have I seen such a lynching. The most jaw dropping moment was an interview with the defense attorney who did not present a case and didn't even know that he could have asked for money from the state to do an investigation. He did no investigation. He has a look of sympathy and ignorance and guilt that is shocking. His confession can only be surmised as a request for forgiveness in order to make peace with his soul. The mother recounts the details of the arrest of her son and the fear and disbelief is displayed with a helplessness that is heartbreaking. The boy is 17 and considered "retarded" and a past that would explain severe trauma but not violence. The attorneys, police and the judges seem comfortable to circumvent the law and I am reminded of a line from the Denzel Washington movie, "Hurricane." The Police stopped and told him,"We're looking for two negroes in a white car." Hurricane responded, "Any two will do? The injustice becomes unbelievable and the director effectively invokes a feeling that something evil and unholy is going on. Religion is used as an important theme with the Catholic Church fighting for clemency and religious fanatics hell bent on the electric chair, each one claiming to be in Jesus Camp. Good and evil fighting for the soul and who does God side with?

The injustice and incompetence will have you on the edge of your bed and then you find out that something evil and unholy IS going on. The execution isn't the final blow.

I'd never heard of this documentary, but after reading the plot summary on Netflix I decided to check it out. Honestly, I almost turned the movie off after the first five minutes. The opening re- enactment, ham fisted narration, and use of stock footage was almost laughable. But, as the movie went on it really grabbed me. The opening presents you with a mystery and you begin to question what you're seeing.

"What did the letter say?"

"Did he or didn't he commit the crime?"

The films finale is very effective. This is a truly frightening film, for a lot of reasons, I'm glad I had the chance to see it.

It is sad about the innocent man being executed. That is always a horrible thing. However this wasn't written or directed very well.