'Into the Abyss': Werner Herzog’s latest documentary captures how capital punishment changes and ends lives

Students used to the fast-paced media of Internet bites, YouTube clips, and blockbuster films might want to take the time to sit through the documentary “Into the Abyss.” Although director-interviewer Werner Herzog’s raw, straightforward presentation takes some getting used to, the result is a breathtaking portrayal of American society, specifically in Texas, and the brutality of the death penalty. Herzog’s film opens Friday, Nov. 11, at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and the IFC Center.

Subtitled “A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life,” “Into the Abyss” tells the story of a triple homicide case in 2001 in suburban Conroe, Texas and of the people touched by it.

Michael Perry and Jason Burkett were convicted of murdering Sandra Stotler, her son Adam Stotler, and his friend Jeremy Richardson while burgling the Stotlers’ home. While Burkett is now serving a life sentence, Perry was given the death penalty. Herzog interviewed Perry eight days before his execution. When asked how he felt about his impending execution, he said he is “either going home or home. Home to the world or home to God.”

The 28-year-old Perry looks easily 10 years younger—practically a kid in inmate orange. Perry and Burkett both maintained their innocence throughout the trial, but the film isn’t concerned with determining whether they actually committed the crime. Instead, the documentary explores the effects of both criminal homicide and capital punishment on humanity.

Though not overtly preachy, Herzog makes it clear that he does not believe in capital punishment. Period. When beginning his interview with Perry, Herzog said, “When I talk to you, it does not necessarily mean I have to like you. But I respect you, and you’re a human being, and I think human beings should not be executed. Simple as that.”

Some of the most jarring footage of the film is of a stolen car after it crashed during a police shoot-out. The windshield wipers are stuck, and shards of glass, debris, and guns are strewn everywhere. In a voice-over, Burkett describes the injuries he sustained from the shoot-out. The calm attitude with which the interviewers describe such vicious events could potentially desensitize viewers—making the triple homicide into something akin to an episode of “Law & Order” rather than a real event. But Herzog denies viewers the luxury of detachment by including images of the crime scene. A shot of the Stotlers' disheveled and blood-soaked living room is especially harrowing when juxtaposed with one of their kitchen, which indicates that Sandra was in the process of baking cookies.

Fancy cinematic techniques and an avant-garde soundtrack aren’t needed to enhance the film. Perhaps not as flashy as other popular documentaries like “Super Size Me” or “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Into the Abyss” is powerful at its core rather than through its frame. The raw emotion of the stories Herzog lays out is also important given the recent high-profile case of Troy Davis and comments on the matter from Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry. The film forces viewers to question whether even those convicted of homicide deserve to enter “the abyss.”