Into the Abyss (2011)

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

20 January 2012 (Canada)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill. |

Plot Keywords:

Death Row | Death | Shot To Death | Spitting | Theft

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Werner Herzog	...	Himself (voice)
Richard Lopez	...	Himself (as The Reverend Richard Lopez)
Michael Perry	...	Himself
Damon Hall	...	Himself
Lisa Stolter-Balloun	...	Herself
Charles Richardson	...	Himself
Jason Burkett	...	Himself
Jared Talbert	...	Himself
Amanda West	...	Herself
Delbert Burkett	...	Himself
Melyssa Burkett	...	Herself
Fred Allen	...	Himself

Directed by
Werner Herzog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Werner Herzog		writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Randall M. Boyd	....	supervising producer: post-production (as Randall Boyd)
Amy Briamonte	....	executive producer
Robert Erickson	....	coordinating producer
Dave Harding	....	executive producer
Sara Kozak	....	executive producer: Investigation Discovery
Erik Nelson	....	producer
Henry S. Schleiff	....	executive producer: Investigation Discovery (as Henry Schleiff)
Andre Singer	....	executive producer: Spring Films and Werner Herzog Film
Lucki Stipetic	....	executive producer: Spring Films and Werner Herzog Film
Werner Herzog	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mark De Gli Antoni		(as Mark DeGli Antoni)

Cinematography by
Peter Zeitlinger		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joe Bini

Sound Department
Jeff Duncan	....	sound
Randy Foster	....	sound
Michael Klinger	....	sound mixer: post-production, Tree Falls Post (as Mike Klinger)
Michael Lile	....	sound
Al McGuire	....	sound
Steve Osmon	....	sound
Eric Spitzer	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Friedell	....	additional camera (as Don Fridel)
Jerry Hattan	....	additional camera
Kevin O'Brien	....	additional camera
David Roberson	....	additional camera (as Dave Roberson)
Erik Söllner	....	assistant camera (as Erik Soellner)
Jake Wilganowski	....	additional camera

Editorial Department
Reza Amidi	....	digital intermediate conformist
Alex Bushe	....	assistant editor
Sheri Eisenberg	....	digital intermediate colorist
Michael V. Fernandez	....	dcp technical supervisor
Bernie Leinfelder	....	post-production coordinator
Jason Saulog	....	digital intermediate conformist
Morning Star Schott	....	digital intermediate producer
Colin Hatton	....	editorial assistant (uncredited)
Mathieu Reid	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Beck	....	musician: winds
Joe Bini	....	music editor
David Byrne	....	musician: guitar
Mark De Gli Antoni	....	musician: keyboards, percussion (as Mark DeGli Antoni)
Lisa Germano	....	musician: violins
Sebastian Steinberg	....	musician: guitars, contra bass
Colin Stevens	....	musician: instrument design

Other crew
Bill Hayes	....	accountant
Hong La	....	accountant
Anna Miralis	....	commissioning editor: More 4
Hamish Mykura	....	commissioning editor: More 4
Henry S. Schleiff	....	production assistant (as Henry Schleiff)
Cynthia Shapiro	....	business affairs
Olivia Ward	....	client services: digital intermediate
Dieu Pham	....	special titles (uncredited)
Marc H. Simon	....	legal counsel (uncredited)

Thanks
Bob Bailey	....	special thanks
Maya Hawke	....	special thanks
Nick N. Raslan	....	special thanks (as Nick Raslan)
Charles Richardson	....	dedicatee
Lisa Stolter-Balloun	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Creative Differences Productions (as Creative Differences)
• Skellig Rock
• Spring Films (in association with)
• Werner Herzog Filmproduktion (in association with)
• Investigation Discovery (in collaboration with)
• More4 (in collaboration with)
• Revolver Entertainment (in collaboration with)

Distributors

• IFC Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sundance Selects (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Why Not Productions (2012) (France) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Colorworks  digital intermediate colorist
• Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard  legal counsel
• Tree Falls Post  post-production sound mixing

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material and some disturbing images

Runtime:

USA:107 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | UK:12A | Singapore:PG13

Filming Locations:

Huntsville, Texas, USA

Company:

Creative Differences Productions

Quotes:

Fred Allen:Hold still and watch the birds. Once you get up into your life like that, and once you feel good about your life, you do start watching what the birds do. What the doves are doing. The hummingbirds. My, there's so many of them.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.17" (2011)

'The State of Texas wants to kill me'

He's taken us into a forgotten cave; alongside bears; to the end of the world; and now Werner Herzog takes us straight into the mind of a madman, in a documentary about what causes people to kill and what society's attitude to such people should be.

Herzog concentrates on just one case, which is more than enough to make his points. Although he doesn't appear on screen, Herzog's voice is important. He dons the role of interviewer, which I believe contributes to the film's power. He asks very precise questions, persists when necessary, but does so in a very innocent, nonchalant way, sometimes even cracking a joke with his subject, who is usually an emotional wreck. And why not? They give more of themselves to someone who they feel is on their side, and we get an insight that is much more accurate than it otherwise could have been.

Michael Perry was a boy when he was convicted of killing a nurse and suspected of killing two youths in 2001. The state of Texas executed him eight days after the film's release. His accomplice to the latter murders, Jason Burkett, received a life sentence. These and other relevant people, such as family members and prison officials, are interviewed to gain a broad range of views on what has always been a difficult political and moral topic.

Documentaries tend to stand back from their topics; Herzog gets right up under their nose. At times I felt he was oblivious to his audience, as though trying to satisfy his own curiosity. And that's why he has always been highly respected: his selfishness is the key to his charity.

All interviews are incredibly moving, not just because almost all involve tears, but because I felt that interviewees had nothing else to reveal and what they did reveal was utterly sincere. This docu-drama uses actual police footage of the crime scenes which, when accompanied by an austere soundtrack, gives the film a sombre, eerie tone.

There's no doubt about it: the crimes were heinous. Both Perry and Burkett blamed each other. Both denied involvement. What's clear is that the crimes were unprovoked and victims perished needlessly. (We're led to believe that people were murdered for the sake of a red sports car.)

Although Herzog states unequivocally that he is anti-capital punishment ('I don't think human beings should be executed. Simple as that'), he never proselytises. He produces an equal account of the merits and pitfalls of state-sponsored execution and, like any objective filmmaker, allows his audience the final say.

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