{2jtab: Movie Review}

The unsettling case of the West Memphis Three gets yet another documentary - that’s four now. But West of Memphis is different. Aside from the passing of time - some 18 years - that has uncovered additional evidence, recanted testimonies, and incompetent forensics, director Amy Berg has in her pocket the soul-searing money shot that represents the beginning of the conclusion to this 18-year saga that wrongfully incarcerated three innocent boys for crimes they didn’t commit.

Well documented in Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s Paradise Lost trilogy of docos, the story of the West Memphis Three began in 1993 with the discovery of the mutilated bodies of three 8-year-old boys in a wooded creek in the Robin Hood Hills section of West Memphis, Arkansas. With no real evidence, and a hostile crowd of locals looking for justice - any justice, police officials pinned the crime on a trio of teen-aged heavy metal burnouts proudly sporting long hair and black clothing. With strange markings on the victims’ bodies and a devoutly religious jury pool, prosecutors knew the easiest route to conviction was to concoct a phony tale of witchcraft and sorcery. It worked. Then 16-year-old Jason Baldwin, 17-year-old friend Jessie Misskelley were slapped with life sentences, while Damien Echols, the alleged satanic-cult ringleader, was put on Arkansas’ death row. Despite an overwhelming lack of evidence, the boys were convicted simply based on their outward appearance.

West of Memphis picks up the untold story behind the desperate fight to get to the truth and prevent the State of Arkansas from killing an innocent man. Berg intersperses her thorough examination of the case with dramatic shots of ramshackle trailers, run-down apartments, and modest homes under a mournful track by Nick Cave.

Whereas the Paradise Lost films examined the case from an outsider’s point-of-view with a thorough documentation of the many missteps and outright blunders of the case, Berg changes the perspective to that of an insider using her access to Echols and his wife Lorri Davis (the two were married while Echols was in prison) to highlight the efforts of the grassroots movement that caught the interest of many outspoken celebrities like Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, Eddie Vedder, Metallica, and even Lord of the Rings gurus Peter Jackson and wife Fran Walsh who were also co-producers of West of Memphis along with Echols and Davis. Mara Levitt, author of The Devil’s Knot, a painstakingly-detailed account of the case, summed up the entire trial perfectly when she said it benefitted from a “crowd-sourced investigation.” Crowd-sourcing undoubtedly is a mighty powerful force that has blossomed since the advent of the internet, but it shouldn’t have a place in our criminal justice system.

The story of the West Memphis Three isn’t over, even after the favorable outcome of the work by Berg, Davis, Jackson and all involved. Their story of a gross miscarriage of justice is certainly gripping, frustrating, and even appalling most of the time, but unfortunately isn’t unique. The most troubling thought to come from Berg’s film is touched upon in several cut-out interviews peppered throughout the film that feature residents of West Memphis.

In one such interview, an elderly gentleman perched in a barber chair and draped with an apron, exclaims under a deep southern drawl, “I would’ve found those kids guilty too” - a conclusion reached only by what biased or politically slanted information he’d picked up in the news.

The lesson here isn’t as much about the corruption and malfeasance of the criminal prosecutorial system in our country as it is about our society in general. When faced with something we don’t understand, in this case an unthinkable crime, we tend to blame those who seem different. In the case of the West Memphis Three, that simple-minded mentality came dangerously close - days, not years - to killing someone. Let's change.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content and some language.
Runtime: 147 mins.
Director: Amy Berg
Writer: Billy McMillin, Amy Berg
Cast: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin; Jessie Misskelley; Lorri Davis
Genre: Documentary
Tagline: West of Memphis
Memorable Movie Quote: "I would’ve found those kids guilty too"
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Official Site: www.sonyclassics.com/westofmemphis
Release Date: January 21, 2013
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 6, 2013

Synopsis: West of Memphis is an examination of a failure of justice in Arkansas. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, the filmmakers' unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense, allows the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the American South.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - August 6, 2013
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Framed at 1.78.1, West Of Memphis arrives on Blu-ray in an AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer.  Sony has given the documentary an excellent Blu-ray release.  The quality of the transfer varies due to the mix of newly shot digitally captured high definition footage and archival clips sourced from old analogue tapes.  Regardless, the transfer shows excellent detail and great color reproduction as well as very solid depth and texture. You might spot some banding in a few scenes if you look for it but otherwise, this material looks good.  The English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio does a good job with handling the many interviews and occasional narrations.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• From writer/director Amy Berg, Producer Lorri Davis and Damien Echols himself, the commentary is a rich experience that brings to light all of Echols experiences as one of the West Memphis Three. This is an emotional and technical commentary that is also a great listen.

Special Features:

With over 90 minutes of deleted scenes, the West of Memphis blu-ray is a wonderful source of information for those who can’t get enough of the saga.  The highlights of the deleted scenes include more on the confessions that were used in court, some back and forth relating to the handling of the evidence presented in the case, some explorations of the crime scene itself, and the behavior of the jury as well as a whole lot more.  Trial buffs should have a good time with the information. Also included on the disc is a Johnny Depp-helmed featurette that documents The Toronto International Film Festival Red Carpet Q&A session and Tom Powers-led panel discussion.  There are also a few recreated scenes.  Overall, a strong release from Sony.

• Deleted Scenes (90 min)
• The Toronto International Film Festival Red Carpet Q&A session (23 min)
• The Toronto International Film Festival Press Conference (40 min)
• Damien’s Past (7 min)
• Theatrical Trailer

{2jtab: Trailer}

{/2jtabs}