DEATH ROW
2012,
Investigation Discovery,
188 min,
USA,
Dir: Werner Herzog
Director Werner Herzog continues the exploration of capital punishment that he initiated in INTO THE ABYSS with a series of four 47-minute documentaries: "Portrait: James Barnes," "Portrait: Hank Skinner, "Portrait: Joseph Garcia and George Rivas," and "Portrait: Linda Carty." Taken together, these four case studies of convicts on death row powerfully examine the ethics of the death penalty and the humanity of the accused without resorting to easy answers or preaching. Herzog’s talent for observing eccentric behavior and his obsession with probing complex issues are both on triumphant display in this ambitious piece of cinematic moral inquiry.