Customer Reviews

The Exonerated

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The truth is tough, the truth must be faced, and the truth is what THE EXONERATED is all about. A project started by writers Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen in 2000 when, in response to a lecture on capital punishment, the couple was moved by the telephone voice of one of the many innocent people on death row who had been falsely convicted of murders they did not in truth commit. This lead to a commitment on the part of Blank and Jensen to interview six such imprisoned people who had spent years of their lives on Death Row only to be eventually exonerated and released. The result of this research was a play that not only was on Broadway but also traveled the country. Now director Bob Balaban has transformed this play into one of the most seeringly powerful dramas about our penal system that has ever been produced.

Each of the six condemned people on death row is portrayed by a gifted actor and the script is taken 100% from interviews and testimony and court records of these exonerated victims. They each tell their story of the incident that resulted in their wrongful arrest and conviction, their experience while confined to Death Row, their thoughts of living in threat of execution, and their manner of dealing with the world once released. These different people are portrayed by Brian Dennehy, Delroy Lindo, Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Aidan Quinn, and David Brown, Jr. Adding some significant reenacted dialogue from spouses and police and jury are such fine actors as Lee Turgesen, Bobby Cannavale, Laurence Luckinbill with a host of others in minor roles.

At the end of the film each of these actors who have been creating the characters are faded into the actual exonerated victims who speak directly to us about their response. The overwhelming message is one against capital punishment, racism, against railroading innocent people into the prison system without the fairness of well-guided appeals, against all the flaws that besiege our penal system. The effect is shattering and staggering. This is NOT a docudrama, but a sensitively written, produced, directed and acted film. It is a film that every citizen of the world should see. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

The Exonerated is the DVD edition of the award-winning play about the true stories of six exonerated survivors of death row - each wrongfully accused of and sentenced for a crime they did not commit, and deprived of their freedom for years on end. Featuring a sterling cast including Danny Glover, Susan Sarandon and Brian Dennehy, The Exonerated is a captivating saga, presenting its unforgettable stories in the words of the people who survived them. Highly recommended. 90 minutes, color.

Intelligent, mostly well acted filming of the stage play, as 6 people exonerated from death row
tell their true stories, mostly as monologues, against a black background.

A powerful argument against the death penalty, it feels a bit stuck between embracing it's
theatricality of approach, and trying to work as a more cinematic piece both in the way its
shot, the occasional awkward `flashbacks' and in the `size' of the performances, which range
from understated and small to quite theatrical and presentational.

But whatever questions one might have about the stylistic choices, there's no question that
these are powerful, important true stories in that every rarer thing, a dramatized American film that
head on addresses an issue with passion and intelligence.

As an episode of American Justice with Bill Curtis on TV, this would have proven very good.

After all, one of the worst things any of us can imagine is being wrongly imprisoned for something we really did not do.

Documentaries that make us aware of this problem and how to improve accuracy of convictions with new technology is a good service.

So why was this bad as a movie ?

Perhaps it is our knowledge of the activism that people like Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover are often involved in that makes this feel less like a serious portrayal of these stories and more like the audience is being preached at.

As an episode of Bill Curtis - American Justice, it would have been good.

As a movie staged to look and feel like the stage play it was based on, this simply did not work as a movie.

As much as I was disturbed by this movie for so many reasons, I was also very disturbed by a few reviewers' comments. I agree, the movie was not presented in the most entertaining way but really, that was not the point, nor its purpose. How can one be so shallow as to not have compassion and sympathy for these individuals and what they endured?

I've volunteered in the prison and jail ministry for several years. No matter how much society wants to deny it, these cases are not rare, unheard of, or fabricated. They happen all the time! What often goes on in the systems can be like a horror movie played out, messing with people's lives on all kinds of levels. Destroying one individual at a time, often taking many innocent people with them.

One thing this movie brought to lights is not only is the system often unjust, the people working in it are often evil, filled and hatred. There are innocent lives being shattered, as well as the affects it has on their loved ones.

How often do people point fingers, condemn, and judge! But never stop to think of their loved ones. They are often the innocent and hurting. We all have a father and a mother, grandparents, many of us siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, best friends. Whether or not someone is guilty or innocent, they often have loved ones out there that did nothing wrong to deserve the hurt by every cruel word and action directed towards the one convicted.

This movie elicited so many emotions it's hard to even put them into words. Each story unique, tugging at my heart. To think what these individuals endured! How their families suffered! And for what?!?!? They were all innocent! But the revelation of that fact could NEVER reverse the damage that had been done from a wrongful conviction!

But through it all, God did show up! These men and this woman are extraordinary, faithful, inspiring individuals.

When the movie ended I was speechless, motionless for some time. I clenched my eyes shut and sat in silence, tying to soak it all in.

How? - How could people be so cruel?


Why? - Why do we allow such things to happen?


Evil? - How can one allow Satan to enter their lives and inflict so much pain and injustices?


God? - God has nothing to do with Evil...that's all Satan. God allows us free will, and with that free will many men have chosen to follow Satan instead of God, therefore allowing evil to attempt to devour the world and destroy God's people He loves so dearly.


When I was finally able to pull myself together, I did the only thing I could after such an experience. I reached for my Bible. I closed my eyes and opened it up. The pages before me...the end of Matthew, chapter 12 and be beginning of chapter 13. The bold heading that stood out and grabbed my attention reflected that of the movie. Once again God had not failed to comfort me in my time of need, giving me His word to find peace. At least enough to allow me to eventually fall asleep.


I pray that people from all over will watch this movie. That it will move their hearts the way it did mine, giving them the knowledge and compassion to realize we are in no position to judge and condemn. Yes, there are those that are guilty and should pay for their crimes. But there are also those that are wrongfully convicted. For those that are guilty, I just have one phrase those judging...What would Jesus do! And that's not a question. The facts are all there in black in one. One just has to open the cover and read. Treat others they way you'd want to be treated. You reap what you sow. And the greatest of these is...love.


REVIEWERS COMMENT I FOUND VERY DISTURBING:
Pure talking heads here. Several wrongly convicted ex-cons, played by actors, tell their stories of woe. You've heard it all before. This is a stage play adaptation that's more play than movie. Maybe the play worked better. This got on my nerves.


MY COMMENT TO THIS REVIEWER:
Sorry to hear you missed the whole point. The words "no heart" comes to mind. I agree at first it was hard to stay focus. So many different stories and the way it was presented. But if you'd stuck with it, you might have been captivated by the individual's lives, as well as discovered the horrifying truths and then maybe you would have discovered some compassion within.


MORE REVIEWERS COMMENTS THAT DIDN'T SETTLE WELL:
1) Anyone can tell these people's stories. I would be pissed if I have to pay to see this movie in the theater.
2) This HAS to be one of the BORINGEST if not The Most Boring movie I've EVER seen !!!Guess I could tag it A Waste Of Time?

COMMENT TO A REVIEWERS:
Sorry to hear you missed the whole point. The words "no heart" comes to mind. I agree at first it was hard to stay focus. So many different stories and the way it was presented. Sorry to hear you weren't captivated by the individual's stories enough to discover the horrifying truths of then, allowing you to ascertain some compassion within.

If you chose to make the effort to locate and watch this movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Blessing,

Kym

Imagine being on death row for a crime you did not commit or having a loved one executed only to be exonerated after death. It's happened more than 242 times, and, believe it or not, this country's "judicial system" could do it to you or a loved one. An important DVD and play everyone should be required to read and remind themselves of frequently. Ari Kohn, Post-Prison Education Program, Seattle, WA 98145-0038

Excellent performances, wonderful production, too. stayed pretty true to the play and how that is performed. definitely recommended!

True. No one innocent should be killed. This shows that there are people that are innocent that are executed. What about before there there was DNA testing? At least let ther be a moratorium to study the biasness of who is on death row.

Compelling writing. The true stories of six people released from death row. Compelling. No subtitles so I had to concentrate, and I did. Compelling. I want you to note that I used this word three times, sincerely, because now I'm going to bash it.

An actor or actress who is quite talented recites against a black background and shifting camera angles, so we know it's an important movie. It even says so on the cover. In contrast, the supporting actors are extras from the Hollywood Starbucks, and the sound effects are quite unnecessary. Is this how we sell relevance to Merkin viewers? And we can't even tell the stories 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, and 6 but must jump back and forth and up and down and round and round because Merkins have short attention spans.

Honestly, I would've preferred to read the transcripts. But since I didn't, I'm glad I saw the DVD. Think of it as an audiobook, maybe. It's only 90 minutes. I'm glad I saw it, even though my very own VIGILANTE JUSTICE explains why I strongly support the death penalty.

And I remain mystified by how China chooses which DVDs to sell. Yep, we brought a pile of unwatched DVDs with us. We might never have to buy one in Thailand.

I ordered this DVD and what came was a different DVD in the Exonerated box. I have written lwtters and returned it--never heard back and never got the DVD.