Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life

 For a documentary about capital punishment, Into the Abyss seems to be much more preoccupied with existential and poignant issues than political debate. Such is to be expected form Werner Herzog who never gets bogged down in a “message” movie but instead, strives to unearth the delicacy and transience of life. He says from the opening scene that he doesn't think anyone should be executed as if to get it out of the way. The director seems more interested in the nature of death and how it affects those surrounded by it and how life is so fleeting that the wrong decision can lead down a path of formidable consequence.

The documentary examines Michael Perry, 27, on death row. When Herzog and his crew meet him, he is 10 days away from execution. The death penalty and a life sentence for his accomplice Jason Burkett was the punishment handed out for a triple homicide in 2001. The murders stemmed from the two young men’s desire for the victims’ red Camaro sports car. Herzog interviews family members of the victims and the perpetrators and others affected by the murder – even the staff who help administer the lethal injection.

Herzog remains unseen in this film. He is only present in his questions from behind the camera offering great insights, empathy and irreverent humour. The main focus is on the subjects of the film. Herzog remains objective, sympathetic and occasionally amused by his interviewees.

A recurring mantra for many of the people presented in this film is that they: “just don’t think about it”. Apathy, even ignorance is bliss in this society. Also, there is a perverse preoccupation with cars and guns amongst some of the characters which indicts American culture. The nature of violence, too, is so casual, so transient, its perpetrators and victims barely give pause to the consequences and circumstances surrounding it.

The presence of belief is another recurring trait amongst the subjects. This is by all means God fearing country. Where the belief in a spirituality is mirrored by the belief in the American Dream - the possession of cars, guns, money can lead to some sort of fulfilment. This is a world where the many characters have been broken –by violence, by a lack of education, by a lack of opportunity. These broken and lost souls have nowhere to be except in the lines outside of societal conventions where chaos and crime exist. This is a film of overwhelming sadness – there is much pain, loss, regret, and little hope.

The film’s glint of redemption, perhaps, comes from Fred Allen the captain of the so-called “Death houses” who administered somewhere around 125 executions. A professional, even a tradesman, one day inexplicably broke down at one of the executions (one no different than any other) and decided then and there that he could not continue in this role – despite losing his pension. It’s as if the casual and ambivalent attitude to violence and death cannot be sheathed nor ignored – it will always overcome us. He is more interested in the “dash” (the punctuation between the dates of birth and death on a tombstone) and how one lives it, and how fleetingly precious it is.