As someone who is fascinated by film documentaries of any sort this was incredibly interesting to watch.

The overall sensitivity towards the subject being spoken about is something to appreciate especially knowing the severity of the case. I feel Herzog is really in his element when it comes to documentary films and this is something that he should continue to do.

I don’t really have any criticisms that stand out for me but if I am realistic this film is not for everything. Despite that it is a very solid film.

3.5/5

As someone who is fascinated by film documentaries of any sort this was incredibly interesting to watch.

The overall sensitivity towards the subject being spoken about is something to appreciate especially knowing the severity of the case. I feel Herzog is really in his element when it comes to documentary films and this is something that he should continue to do.

I don’t really have any criticisms that stand out for me but if I am realistic this film is not for everything. Despite that it is a very solid film.

3.5/5

Déjà le film le plus bouleversant que j’ai vu cette année, et il est signé Werner Herzog.

Déjà le film le plus bouleversant que j’ai vu cette année, et il est signé Werner Herzog.

I challenge anyone who is even slightly on the fence about the death penalty to watch this and not feel even a twinge of pain for the people involved.

Werner Herzog takes a rather unflinching look at a singular crime and the effect it had on the people involved, from the perpetrators to family and friends of the victims, all the way down to law enforcement, with a singular question in mind - Does the state have the right to decide who dies?

Herzog makes his stance on this question very clear from the beginning, within the first 10 minutes of the documentary, he says "I feel like destiny has dealt you a very bad deck of cards, and it does not exonorate you, and when I talk to you, it does not necessarily mean I have to like you, but I respect you and you are a human being, and I think human beings should not be executed" and I feel this quote perfectly wraps up my feelings towards the death penalty.

Doubters will have you believe that including the boys' backstory and one of their fathers (who is also incarcerated) is a tool being used to illicit sympathy where it is not deserved, but I believe that the systemic failures that these boys faced their entire lives, which led them to this situation, do deserve attention and sympathy from us. Not addressing the failures of the parental figures in their lives or the financial situations and society's attitudes to those in those financial situations allows the 1% to continue to oppress the rest of us, and allows criminalisation of innocent people. You can feel sadness for the boys, whilst simultaneously condemning their actions and believing they deserve punishment for their crimes; those two things can coexist within you, and nobody should let any of us believe that they can't. The question here isn't if they're innocent or not; that was answered before the documentary started. The question is whether or not the state gets to kill people in the name of justice.

Resources prevent crimes, and these boys had none.

Herzog has once again proven he is one of the greatest filmmakers to come to screen, and I always leave his films feeling a weight lifted that someone dared to say the quiet parts out loud, and this was no different.

I challenge anyone who is even slightly on the fence about the death penalty to watch this and not feel even a twinge of pain for the people involved.

Werner Herzog takes a rather unflinching look at a singular crime and the effect it had on the people involved, from the perpetrators to family and friends of the victims, all the way down to law enforcement, with a singular question in mind - Does the state have the right to decide who dies?

Herzog makes his stance on this question very clear from the beginning, within the first 10 minutes of the documentary, he says "I feel like destiny has dealt you a very bad deck of cards, and it does not exonorate you, and when I talk to you, it does not necessarily mean I have to like you, but I respect you and you are a human being, and I think human beings should not be executed" and I feel this quote perfectly wraps up my feelings towards the death penalty.

Doubters will have you believe that including the boys' backstory and one of their fathers (who is also incarcerated) is a tool being used to illicit sympathy where it is not deserved, but I believe that the systemic failures that these boys faced their entire lives, which led them to this situation, do deserve attention and sympathy from us. Not addressing the failures of the parental figures in their lives or the financial situations and society's attitudes to those in those financial situations allows the 1% to continue to oppress the rest of us, and allows criminalisation of innocent people. You can feel sadness for the boys, whilst simultaneously condemning their actions and believing they deserve punishment for their crimes; those two things can coexist within you, and nobody should let any of us believe that they can't. The question here isn't if they're innocent or not; that was answered before the documentary started. The question is whether or not the state gets to kill people in the name of justice.

Resources prevent crimes, and these boys had none.

Herzog has once again proven he is one of the greatest filmmakers to come to screen, and I always leave his films feeling a weight lifted that someone dared to say the quiet parts out loud, and this was no different.

GERMAN VERSION (english below)

Into the Abyss ist ein tiefgründiger Blick in die menschliche Seele, sogar darüber hinaus. Wir sehen uns mit Menschen konfrontiert, die auf nichts mehr hoffen können, keinen Sinn mehr darin haben, sich weiterzuentwickeln und nur auf den Tod warten können, langsam, aber stetig. Ihre Augen tragen den Schmerz förmlich in sich, sie warten nur darauf auszubrechen und dieses elende und endlose Warten hinter sich zu lassen, um endlich dieser Einöde des Todestraktes zu entrinnen.

Werner Herzog hat hiermit wieder einmal eine Dokumentation geschaffen, die viel mehr ist, als man eigentlich von diesem Genre erwarten könnte. Ganz neutral, ganz sachlich wird der Tod in Angriff genommen, ohne eine Bewertung der Todesstrafe selbst wird der Wahnsinn und die Zermürbung dargestellt, die mit dem endlosen Warten einher geht. Es ist wahrlich eine kurze, doch tiefgreifende Reise in den Abgrund, in den Abgrund der menschlichen Seele und ihrer Gefühle und Emotionen.

Werner Herzog ist ein Meister seines Fachs, nicht nur ein Künstler im filmischen, doch auch in der Verwendung der Sprache und Philosophie. Er ist ohne Frage einer der größten Regisseure unserer Zeit. Klar, gibt es Filme, die fesselnder und besser inszeniert sein mögen, doch beim Regisseur-Sein geht es ums Können, um die Kunst, zu überzeugen, zum nachdenken anzuregen und einen bleibenden Eindruck zu hinterlassen. Herzog weiß um sein unglaubliches Talent und nutzt es allzumal.

ENGLISH VERSION
***
***
Into the Abyss is a deep dive into the human soul, and even beyond. We are confronted with people who can no longer hope for anything, who no longer have any sense of development and can only wait for death, slowly but steadily. Their eyes are literally filled with pain, they are just waiting to break out and leave this miserable and endless wait behind them, to finally escape this desolation of death row.

Werner Herzog has once again created a documentary that is much more than one might expect from this genre. Death is approached in a completely neutral, objective way, without any judgment of the death penalty itself, depicting the madness and attrition that comes with the endless wait. It is truly a short but powerful journey into the abyss, into the abyss of the human soul and its feelings and emotions.

Werner Herzog is a master of his craft, not only an artist in filmmaking, but also in the use of language and philosophy. He is without question one of the greatest directors of our time. Sure, there are films that may be more gripping and better directed, but being a director is about skill, about the art of convincing, making you reflect and leaving a lasting impression. Herzog is aware of his incredible talent and makes the most of it.

GERMAN VERSION (english below)

Into the Abyss ist ein tiefgründiger Blick in die menschliche Seele, sogar darüber hinaus. Wir sehen uns mit Menschen konfrontiert, die auf nichts mehr hoffen können, keinen Sinn mehr darin haben, sich weiterzuentwickeln und nur auf den Tod warten können, langsam, aber stetig. Ihre Augen tragen den Schmerz förmlich in sich, sie warten nur darauf auszubrechen und dieses elende und endlose Warten hinter sich zu lassen, um endlich dieser Einöde des Todestraktes zu entrinnen.

Werner Herzog hat hiermit wieder einmal eine Dokumentation geschaffen, die viel mehr ist, als man eigentlich von diesem Genre erwarten könnte. Ganz neutral, ganz sachlich wird der Tod in Angriff genommen, ohne eine Bewertung der Todesstrafe selbst wird der Wahnsinn und die Zermürbung dargestellt, die mit dem endlosen Warten einher geht. Es ist wahrlich eine kurze, doch tiefgreifende Reise in den Abgrund, in den Abgrund der menschlichen Seele und ihrer Gefühle und Emotionen.

Werner Herzog ist ein Meister seines Fachs, nicht nur ein Künstler im filmischen, doch auch in der Verwendung der Sprache und Philosophie. Er ist ohne Frage einer der größten Regisseure unserer Zeit. Klar, gibt es Filme, die fesselnder und besser inszeniert sein mögen, doch beim Regisseur-Sein geht es ums Können, um die Kunst, zu überzeugen, zum nachdenken anzuregen und einen bleibenden Eindruck zu hinterlassen. Herzog weiß um sein unglaubliches Talent und nutzt es allzumal.

ENGLISH VERSION
***
***
Into the Abyss is a deep dive into the human soul, and even beyond. We are confronted with people who can no longer hope for anything, who no longer have any sense of development and can only wait for death, slowly but steadily. Their eyes are literally filled with pain, they are just waiting to break out and leave this miserable and endless wait behind them, to finally escape this desolation of death row.

Werner Herzog has once again created a documentary that is much more than one might expect from this genre. Death is approached in a completely neutral, objective way, without any judgment of the death penalty itself, depicting the madness and attrition that comes with the endless wait. It is truly a short but powerful journey into the abyss, into the abyss of the human soul and its feelings and emotions.

Werner Herzog is a master of his craft, not only an artist in filmmaking, but also in the use of language and philosophy. He is without question one of the greatest directors of our time. Sure, there are films that may be more gripping and better directed, but being a director is about skill, about the art of convincing, making you reflect and leaving a lasting impression. Herzog is aware of his incredible talent and makes the most of it.

There’s lots of power in this, lots of raw human emotions. It’s not one of Herzog’s most impressive works, on a technical level. But I cried about 6 times, so it’s definitely powerful.

There’s lots of power in this, lots of raw human emotions. It’s not one of Herzog’s most impressive works, on a technical level. But I cried about 6 times, so it’s definitely powerful.