Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011) User Reviews

justice?

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 23 July 2016]

The filmmakers return to update the case of the West Memphis Three. In 1993, three boys Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were murdered in the woods. In 1994, three older boys Damien Wayne Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were convicted for those crimes. The first half of this movie basically recaps the first two documentaries. John Mark Byers, stepfather of Christopher Byers, makes peace with Echols and is now convinced of their innocence. In turn, Echols apologizes for accusing John. For me, the most damning is the accusation against the jury foreman Kent Arnold. There is new DNA evidence against Terry Hobbs, Steve Branch's stepfather, but it's not that convincing for me. The Three is able to win a legal victory and after their judge moved on as a State Senator, the guys finally accepted an Alford plea essentially guilty but maintaining their innocence.

Is this justice? It's hard to say. The most obvious problem for the justice system and this movie as a drama is that nobody is in prison for the boys' murders. For a documentary, that's always the limitation. The real world doesn't always have a neat happy ending. They are able to point the finger at Terry Hobbs but the second movie pointed the finger at Byers. There is nothing done against the various people who did harm against justice in this case. It is able to wrap up the odyssey of the West Memphis Three but justice for the murders may never be done.

Scary

[dno-60718 · 9/10 · 7 July 2019]

Watching makes one realize that if you are poor and accused of a crime the deck is very stacked against you. Hey Heather. These men got lucky to get the attention they did. If you are from Arkansas you will be embarrassed of the childish judicial system there....

A possible closing to some of the finest documentaries ever made

[StevePulaski · 9/10 · 27 January 2012]

Never has a documentary possessed a title of incorruptible, divine accuracy. We've reached a point in time where the West Memphis Three case was in limbo, or purgatory if you will. There was nothing to really say, and making another documentary would inevitably recap what we already know. The case wasn't moving very fast at all, and the numerous appeals requested by the three were never met by Judge Burnett.

The murders of three second graders, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers, in May 1993 was horrific and shocked the entire quiet community of West Memphis, Arkansas. It was proved that belief in Satanism was occurring, and the town was hellbent and frustrated to find the heartless brutes responsible for such a heinous, unforgivable crime. Jessie Misskelley Jr. was arrested and interrogated for over twelve hours with no parent or attorney present in the room. Possessing an IQ of only 72 made it very clear that the response we were going to get would be shaky and murky. Only the last forty-five minutes or so were recorded on tape and went on long enough to show Misskelley had contradicted himself on when the murders took place.

During the confession, Misskelley claimed to be involved with Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin, two other West Memphis teenagers. Baldwin, Echols, and Misskelley were all arrested, tried, and sentenced to life in prison and Echols was placed on death row. However, years after their conviction new evidence came forth - bite marks on one of the victim's heads. The three took bite impressions, none of them matching the bite marks on the boy's forehead.

After being denied numerous appeals in the state of Tennessee, the men finally applied for a hearing with the new evidence in the Arkansas Supreme Court. A new hearing would be set for December 2011. Though unexpectedly, in August 2011, the prosecutors and the defense lawyers negotiated a plea that would let the men be released from prison if they pleaded guilty but could maintain their innocence. They accept and now are free on the streets after serving 18 years and 78 days.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory spends about forty-five minutes recapping the events that occurred in the first two documentaries, then works around the details developed in present day. We get well conducted interviews with all three men again, and we see how greatly their personalities and attitudes have changed towards the world around them. Jason Baldwin, who didn't speak all that much in the first two films, says some of the most compelling lines in Purgatory. One of them being "Our trial was guilty until proved innocent." Just sends a shiver up your spine.

I've been saying all along that the trial of the three boys seemed to act more on impulse and personality traits of the boys rather than hardcore, indisputable evidence from the crime scene.In Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, the film danced around the fact that Christopher Byers' stepfather, John Mark Byers, might've had something to do with the murders. He is eerie in appearance, outspoken, and very suspicious on camera. Not to mention, he changes his story multiple times on his whereabouts and his false teeth during the time of the murders.

To make a dirty sea even gloomier, Purgatory offers another option that Terry Hobbs, Stevie Branch's stepfather, could've be involved in the murders. His hair was found on one of the shoestrings used to hogtie one of the boys up, and his story, like Byers', changes drastically throughout the film. It's shocking, scary, and sometimes seemingly incorruptible in presentation.

The more I watched of each film the more I grew sympathetic and fond of the three accused. They seem like intelligent people stuck in a merciless and unfair situation. Echols, my favorite of the three, is intelligent yet eclectic - a good trait in many adolescents. Sadly, it got him in a boatload of trouble. More trouble than one could possibly imagine.

This marks the possible end to what could very well be some of the greatest, deepest, most personal and up close documentaries ever captured on film. Paradise Lost isn't only focusing on a largely unfair case, but it is showing the dangers and horrors of a biased system during a serious trial. Not to mention, when finally released they are still baring an essence of guilt. That is not right. Justice did not prevail for these poor kids. They're free, sure, but are they fully innocent? That's another question.

Starring: Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr., and Jason Baldwin. Directed by: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky.

A life in prison wasted

[gregsrants · 13 September 2011]

Back in 1996, filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky set out to make a documentary for HBO on the West Memphis 3 – three teenage kids that were accessed of murdering three 8-year-old boys and sentenced to life imprisonment with one of the teenagers been given the death penalty.

The documentary focused on the questionable evidence and lack of thorough police investigative work that lead to their incarceration and hit such chords with the American public that soon celebrities such as Johnny Depp were championing the cause in an attempt to get the three boys a new trial.

Four years later, Berlinger and Sinofsky followed-up their story with Paradise Lost: Revelations which was a more biased account of the teenager's innocence and used new information and footage to help promote their cause.

Fifteen years later, Berlinger and Sinofsky finish the trilogy with Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory that takes one final look at the teenagers that have grown into 30-year-old adults in prison for a crime that lacked the forensic evidence to convict if put on trial today.

Paradise Lost 3 opens in 1994 and we get the hard-to-watch actual crime scene footage of the three naked 8-year-old boys who were left hogtied with shoelaces in a small wooded area known as Robin Hood Hills.

With pressure from the media and the increasing tension amongst residents of the town, authorities soon charged teenagers Jason Baldwin, Jessie Miskelly and Damien Echols with murder and sentenced two of them (Baldwin, Miskelly) to life in prison without parole and Echols with the death penalty. The case was built upon their association with each other and loose allegations that the three were part of a satanic cult thanks to their preferred dark clothing and various graffiti and doodles of skeletons that were part of the group dynamic.

Although not as engrossing as 1996's Paradise Lost, Purgatory again presents its case of innocence by interviewing or taping experts in their fields discuss the case and with a 2007 re-examining of the evidence by authoritative members of their fields (DNA, forensics etc). Scattered interviews from 1994 through 2010 help assert that justice may not have been done and that stubborn individuals who had involvement in the case provided the judicial roadblocks to impede any progress.

Paradise Lost 3 spends a bit more time in an assumption of another potential murderer of the three boys and they are fueled by celebrities Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder and even a member of the Dixie Chicks in their attempts to have new evidence presented and justice served.

Paradise Lost 3 wrapped filming in August 2011 – three days later, the Memphis 3 were released from prison on a lesser charge that does not clear their innocence. Berlinger and Sinofsky informed the sold out crowd at the Toronto International Film Festival that we will be the first and the last to see this theatrical version as a new ending has since transpired (which drew a loud applause from the agreeing audience).

One of the real tragedies of the now trilogy of Paradise Lost films is watching three teenage boys age while in prison. They have missed out on an entire life's worth of experiences (one did get married while incarcerated to a female fan) and we can only hope that a follow-up film 10 years from now shows us how the three were able to assimilate back into society and become everything that they should and could have been had they not been wrongly accused.

www.killerreviews.com

Hindsight is 20/20, but perception is 9/10th's of the law

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 30 January 2016]

By the end of this series of films by Joe Berlinger and (sadly the late) Bruce Sinofsky, we have gone through a long journey full of missed (or more accurately botched) opportunities by the Arkansas legal system on multiple fronts to find the three men (at the time teenagers) innocent. And it's hard to argue that they were, despite what comes out at the end, but I'll come to that in a moment. There's still Metallica on the soundtrack, though I wonder if 'Bittersweet Symphony' would have been too on the nose.

Part three is mostly set ten to eleven years after the events of the second 'Paradise Lost' movie, and a lot has changed in the years since the new millennium came around and things like new statutes in the state and new evidence peaks its head into existence (and better legal defenses for the three as well). But there are many surprises; the greatest and most unexpected one is a complete 180 from how one saw John Mark Byers. It may speak to the potential for the filmmakers being manipulative, going from positing him as a villain to something of a redeemed person, but it seems a little more complex than that. One may forget watching this film (it isn't mentioned directly) that at the end of part 2 Byers was off to prison.

Maybe that changed him. Or just ten years and that monumental press conference with the host of legal experts - one from the FBI and one involved in the Ted Bundy case - can change a person's mind. But one of the things that's so absorbing this time around is how Byers, previously a Character with a capital C (one may or may not think watching part 2 he'd be capable of the crimes, it's left up in the air almost by how forceful he was in it), uses his knack for being outspoken for the side of the innocent, which he believes now they are (the dead wife is not mentioned, but that's another story altogether).

If there's one small criticism of the film is that there's a lot of footage from the past two films, with the first one shown from the original negatives (hence why they look so scratchy). But I think it's a necessary narrative angle since by this point there may be people coming to this documentary who may have not seen the other films in a while (or, presumably given the nature of channel-flipping TV and ADD) to bring things up and make it a complete narrative. I actually appreciated the use of footage here more than in part 2, and it helped to make a point-counter-point method for the first half of the film; so much time has passed, after all, that the new experts and lawyers and people of that nature could comment on this or that that was presented before, from the alleged occult symbols (basically debunked here as BS) or, most of all, the lack of DNA.

There's so much that comes down in this film that if one comes away at the end and still thinks Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley killed all three of the boys in 1993 then, well, at the least there's little room for any reasonable doubt in your mind based on ALL of the evidence (and as the chapter heading goes here, All is All). But perhaps the thing that will make me revisit this film over time is the fact that the potential - actual - killer comes up as a *different* father, Terry Hobbs, and while on the surface seeming to be less of a Force of Nature like Mark, he's actually an even more fascinating person to just stare at. Which, by the way, you get a lot of time for; via deposition videos, the audience basically gets to see up front what this guy is all about as far as his actual character. I really loved how the filmmakers didn't have to dig too deep to find moments that revealed this person in a whole new light than one saw in part 1; indeed I want to revisit that first part almost immediately to see if any of the signs were there (those little smirks, the bullish expressions) and if they were hard to miss.

Ultimately the West Memphis 3 were freed, but it was based in layman's terms on the justice system saying 'eh, get the hell out of here.' The Alford Plea let the men out, all now in their 30's, but the catch is that they can say they're innocent but plead guilty. One of the things that makes the form of documentary filmmaking so unpredictable and so vital and, in moments like these, so highly charged that it would be difficult to possibly take as a drama, are the turns a story could take. And yet in the Paradise Lost series, all the way through the end of this saga, there's this sense that the entire Justice system, from the police to the prosecutors (probably they come off not quite AS bad as everyone else, but close enough), to the jurors (or that one juror for sure) to the unmovable judge himself, it's all set up to say 'we are right, and you are wrong.'

There are incredible and serious implications and questions that are raised due to what can be read very easily in this story, and a lot of it has to do with class (would these men have been put away if they came from families outside of trailer parks and low-incomes) and status (the 'black-Satan-occult BS). It's a sobering, harrowing, tragic story, and it's all told by these directors with clarity and focus and urgency.

A powerful, if frustrating, conclusion to the Paradise Lost films

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 24 June 2013]

A powerful, if frustrating, conclusion to the Paradise Lost films which chronicle the extremely questionable conviction of 3 high school aged young men for the horrible murder of three little boys. Despite the fact that the case against the three was absurdly weak, seeming to be based as much on the idea that they acted 'strange', or listened to heavy metal music as in any hard evidence (the strongest 'evidence' being a recanted confession given by one of the young men with an IQ of 72, who was questioned without council for 12 hours, and with no recording or transcripts of what went on in the first 11 hours. And even then, the confession was full of factual mistakes).

This third film picks up with the men having been in prison for 15 years, and finally moving towards possible exoneration under pressure on the Arkansas justice system from across the country and even the world. Mostly the film focuses on the uncovering of yet another possible 'real' killer (although the 2nd film also did so and pointed convincingly at the wrong man, showing just how hard it is to ever fully know the truth). It also shows the lengths to which those involved in the first trial, especially the judge, put their own reputation and their inability to admit error, or even questions, above a search for true justice.

The film has it's flaws; it spends a lot of time re-capping the story, and never seems to acknowledge how confusing the issue of guilt is, as the 2nd film showed in seeming to point at the wrong man for being 'weird', just as the trial did with the 3. Also the dramatic conclusion feels tacked on and incomplete – not the fault of the filmmakers, as much as of timing. The film was essentially done when the directors had to race to Memphis to film a climax that ended up more like an epilogue than it should.

But this is an important document of just how easily the legal system can fail when prejudice and self-interest come into play – as they will continue to do as long as we are human and frail creatures.

We know who's the real killer.

[DBLurker · 10/10 · 24 January 2017]

First of all, I felt really sorry for John Mark Byers. He lost his child, then his wife, then all the health issues. But he still kept fighting. Despite his theatrics, I really felt sad for him because he reminded me of how hysterical my own father was on death of my mother last year.

That said, I saw these movies without know anything about these murders or the fact that the three convicted were released later on. So, believe me when I say that Terry Hobbs from the moment I saw him in first movie, acted shady as f**k. He showed no remorse at all, not even enough to hold his wife or console her properly when she was crying. His behavior kept bothering me and lo and behold, the third movie finally shows us why. He's nothing but a psychopath.

But the worst part is, he'll go scott free. Because of the incompetence of the cops who couldn't be arsed with doing their jobs properly.

Guilty until proven innocent.

[reichjon-23828 · 10/10 · 18 November 2019]

Everyone is familiar with the phrase 'innocent until proven guilty.' And while that's a nice sentiment, the reality is it's a complete and utter lie. It's something the justice system says, but does not practice, which really isn't justice at all. I don't know how to fix the justice system, but I know the first step is admitting it's severely broken, and then acknowledging what about the system needs fixing. This documentary does an excellent job showing some of the major flaws we should be recognizing and working towards fixing, as well as inspiring people to make the effort to act. I truly believe this film has done a great service towards bettering the system so that in the future we won't make the same mistakes. In the meantime, can we please stop saying we consider people innocent until proven guilty?!

Small Town Southern Injustice

[Lechuguilla · 6/10 · 1 December 2014]

Certainly an interesting documentary about the high-profile case of the West Memphis Three (Baldwin, Echols, Misskelley), convicted of killing three young boys in eastern Arkansas in 1993. The documentary takes the side of the defense, in saying the three teenagers (WM3) were railroaded through based on flimsy evidence. The verdict in 1994 was probably unjust, given the general absence of forensic evidence at the time. More recently, DNA evidence shows no DNA connection between the three teenagers and the three young victims. On the other hand, the program excludes some of the prosecution's case, which shows blatant bias on the part of the program's producers.

In contrast, bias appears much more pronounced in the legal system in 1993, and included police coercion, sloppy police work, and obvious jury misconduct, among other problems. The small town of West Memphis was overwhelmed with emotional hysteria of family and neighbors, all wanting revenge for the killings. The police were out to convict the easiest target, and the prosecutor wanted a quick win, and was facilitated by a judge who was anything but unbiased. No DNA testing was available back then.

At one point in the program, Misskelley says he was at a Dyess, Arkansas wrestling match at the time of the murders. So how is it that the prosecutor was able to convince a jury that Misskelley was guilty? Instead of answering the alibi question, the program proceeds down a different investigative avenue.

That is one glaring problem in a program that overall does not flow well. It jerks back and forth between people and time periods. There are so many people involved in this case, it's hard to keep track of names and faces. I also didn't like the inclusion of Hollywood celebrities who, despite their lack of involvement in the original trials, think they can determine the three guys' innocence via superficial arguments and secondary sources, which reeks of celebrity arrogance.

Despite the documentary's biased point of view in favor of the WM3, and despite how the program is put together, it is worth watching. By inference, it shows how the jury system is rigged against a defendant in a murder trial. In the future, one would hope that juries will be outlawed, and replaced by forensic evidence only, correctly obtained and tested, that proves innocence or guilt. Having hysterical people render life and death decisions based on the games lawyers play is truly frightening.

History Keeper

[wfhbear · 9/10 · 15 January 2012]

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)

Excellent use of first person video archives to bring the viewer up to date regarding the crime, it's casualties, and developments. Smashing use of new video interviews, study of involvement and final results of the entire episode surrounding the three accused in this criminal case. The documentary is well put together. Video and sound are excellent.

This is a true historical document that shows a "Crime in America" from start to bitter end. My twenty six year as a law enforcement officer of which twenty were as a death investigator give me a unique opinion of case facts.

It was a genuinely interesting experience for me to look at this documentary from an outside perspective using no real explored physical evidence or deduction.

It intrigued me to follow the case through media coverage, photographic and video graphic statements, as well as personal thoughts, assumptions, and fabrications. This was absolutely what could be expected for the information available to the general public. I have never had to look at information in this manner of privacy and what is available for the average citizen.

These people are crazy!!!!!!!!!!

[twztd7609 · 7/10 · 14 August 2012]

I gotta say that I heard nothing about this horrific story until I was bored on my couch flipping through channels. Saw that they were showing the 1st 2 docs on HBO so I dvrd them. I was sucked into this story and for a while couldn't decide who to believe. I related to the kids in the whole being an outcast thing, but also found myself wondering how I would react if in the victims parents shoes. In my opinion, the people in this southern town are absolutely nuts. For those who've seen it know what I'm talking about. The sentences that came outta the mouths of these people had my jaw to the floor. I'm not a religious man and have no problem w/ others and their beliefs, but DAMN!!!! I've never heard verbal hellfire like this. Pretty funny actually and I definitely felt smarter after watching it all. Worth checking out unless you're easily offended by off the wall religious hoopla. Oh and yes, graphic crime scene photos are included and not recommended for weak stomachs, just a warning.

Great job!

[zetes · 8/10 · 26 February 2012]

The tale of the West Memphis 3 came to an end this past year, and Joe Berlinger's and Bruce Sinofsky's advocacy doc trilogy comes to an end, as well, and quite satisfyingly. Watching this third installment is quite painful, even with the mostly happy ending, because it cuts back and forth between the past and the present, showing us just how long these men spent in jail - literally over half their lives. It's particularly touching to see Damien Echols, the only one of the three who was sentenced to death (a sentence which was never off the table until he was freed), grow from an awkward, certainly skeevy-looking teenager to an intelligent, well-spoken adult. One has to wonder what he would have been like if none of this had ever happened. This doc has a lot to cover (you could probably get the gist of the whole series just by watching this one), and in a way it feels a tad unwieldy and perhaps unfocused. But it still does a great job. I sincerely hope the WM3 can now find some peace.

A bit too biased

[neil-arsenal · 7/10 · 5 September 2012]

This is a gripping series of documentaries but I felt like I was only being given one side of the story.

After viewing I, like most felt appalled that these young men had been sent to jail/death on such fragile evidence.

I suggest reading up on the opinions of the organizations who feel that they are guilty.

To be honest, on finding out certain facts I went from on side to the other.

I just don't buy the parrot like speeches by Echols and the fact he only answers a certain set of questions (and always give the same answers word for word).

There is a lot of evidence pointing at their guilt (look it up) and although I certainly can't say 100% that they are guilty...I feel the cause celebre surrounding the whole case is distasteful and the famous people involved would do well to take up another cause.

The kids seem like they are guilty to me.

Closure, sometimes less

[chaos-rampant · 10 April 2016]

There are some pretty eyeopening realizations raised by this case of the Memphis Three but for me these are poignantly tucked away in the first film. That one really was a searing depiction of ignorance and delusion worthy of Herzog, in large part because it was unfolding 'now' in some backwoods court that was deciding the lives of kids.

This has an altogether different aim. It presses a case that had by then garnered wide traction, attempts some investigative journalism about who really did it and offers a summation of a fight that was justly won, however late for these people. It was the third film at this point, everyone by now looks more accustomed to the presence of the camera, more self-conscious about us being there to see. It has closure and a moral.

So it doesn't feel like we are catching ignorance unawares and seeing it as it mangles lives. I see instead an article about how terrible it is. I'm glad that it documents what it does of course, dismayed at the redneck judge who is now in the state senate, but that's it.

Not a conclusion but brilliant none the less.

[valleyjohn · 9/10 · 12 March 2012]

PARADISE LOST 3 : PURGATORY - 9 out of 10

If there is one thing that you should be proud of in Britain it's our justice system. Be thankful that we don't have the clowns in our courts that were involved in the court case that sent The West Memphis three to prison back in 1993 and who still have influence as to the outcome of the lives of these three innocent men.

This is the third film of The Paradise Lost documentaries about three men sent to prison for the murder of three 8 year old boys back in 1993. It starts by covering some old ground that we have seen in the first two films then follows the fight to get the men ( they were only teenagers when it happened) freed and even has insight into who possibly could have been the real killer.

I have found all three documentaries fascinating but his one has to be the best of the lot. It is still immensely harrowing because it shows very upsetting scenes of crime footage of the dead 8 year old boys ( and i still question why we need to see those pictures ) and because of new DNA techniques it comes some way to helping the three who incarcerated - but not in a way that is satisfactory.

It shows up the deep flaws in the American justice system and how blinkered these ageing judges are that have the fate of so many people in their wrinkled little hands.

You don't have to have seen the first two films because it quite self explanatory as to what has happened and i recommend that everyone gets to see this fascinated film. I don't think it will be the last either.

The confession and lack of evidence

[jason_leo · 8/10 · 11 May 2020]

What a great movie i saw all three many years ago and then i think one of them was due for execution around 2000 so thank god they got released..

Alot of people say that their is not 100% proof they didnt do it but the confession speaks volumes. After many hours with no legal advice or parents one of boys confesses to the crime. The major problem with the confession is the recording of it. The confession is completely lead and when he gets bits wrong the police keep pushing him to change it untill it fits. At the time of the arrest the only people that had seen the bodies were the police and the police believed the boys had been raped. Jessie admits the rape. When it goes to trial it turns out they were never raped so how did he admit to something that never happened and the disp[osal of the blood was insane even an expert said it couldnt be done.

The alford plea was an affront. Only in america are you allowed to plead guilty to a lesser offence whilst denying your guilt at the same time and the plea be accepted as long as you promise never to sue the goverment for the 18 years you lost

With the beautiful shots of West Memphis, Arkansas, some great Metallica tunes, and a compelling story, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is quite an accomplishment

[alexcomputerkid · 9/10 · 7 March 2014]

In 1993, news of the West Memphis Three Killings swept through the nation and made it's way into the history books. Three eight-year old boys Steve Branch, Michael Moore, Christopher Byers were killed in the woods near a busy truck stop in West Memphis, Arkansas and three teenage boys were then convicted of the murders. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is the conclusion of the Paradise Lost series regarding the West Memphis Three and chronicles their release from jail and what lies ahead for this unsolved murder case.

This documentary first points to why Jessie Misskelly, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were convicted of these murders. From the ludicrous theories of satanic rituals, their past history including how they liked to wear black and listen to Metallica, the film presents much evidence of how wrong the police were in bringing these boys to trial. Through this evidence, you get a feel for these teenagers and who they are. Baldwin seems to be the quiet guy of the group who wouldn't seem to hurt a fly. Misskelley is the tough guy of the group and Echols is lost in the middle but of course, all were in the same predicament.

The documentary also goes into details about Mark Byers, the adoptive father of Byers who we know through neighbors was with the kids before they died and how his DNA was found at the scene of the crime. There were some interesting facts about this suspect but the film includes calls to the police to look into this guy more.

Even though it did start to drag a little, the ending of this movie has a feel of watching history. This HBO film release date was postponed two months to show the prison release of the West Memphis Three and it was quite worth it. The ending feels fulfilling, and has a interesting legal side to it.

With the beautiful shots of West Memphis, Arkansas, some great Metallica tunes, and a compelling story, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is quite an accomplishment. Some of these facts we could obviously have been found online but this documentary brings so much more depth to this story. Even though we got what we wanted with the release of these innocent men, this investigation is far from over and we have to wonder what more there may be to come for this film series as more facts are known. This third installment leaves the possibility of future movies in this series wide open.

Watch and make up your own opinion on this incredible trilogy

[fredrikgunerius · 8/10 · 16 August 2023]

Documentarians Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky first delved into the case of the West Memphis Three back in the mid-90s when teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley quite recently had been convicted of murdering three 8 year old boys in the backwoods of West Memphis, Arkansas. The local mass-hysteria surrounding the case, in which every finding at the crime scene and every nonconformity in the suspects was interpreted in the most slanderous way, created the perfect breeding ground for prejudgement. And the first Paradise Lost film, released in 1996, documented this inconceivable hysteria to award-winning effect.

Now, almost two decades later, it's no longer kids we meet in prison, but reflective, serious young adults with more perspective and insight than any of the officials or parents displayed in the first two Paradise Lost films. The time that has passed coupled with Berlinger/Sinofsky's profound interest and understanding of their case make this third and final installment a piercing documentary. During the course of these films, Berlinger/Sinofsky has never outright stated their opinion as to the guilt of any of the implicated, with that creating a nerve and tension which remains until the final shot of Purgatory. Instead, they have done all they can to shed light on every possible aspect of the case. And last but not least, they have given a voice to one of the most fascinating subjects of any real-crime documentary, Damien Echols (up there with Robert Durst, without any further comparison). Watch and make up your own opinion on this incredible trilogy - it's a worthy magnum opus for one of the most important filmmaking duos of our time.

And Justice for None

[jadepietro · 7/10 · 17 February 2012]

This film is recommended.

The third installment of this documentary continues to explore the ever-changing case and testimony of three convicts who were convicted as teenagers in the brutal killing of three young boys in Arkansas. Due to the dedication and research of filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky ( and recent DNA evidence ), the case was overturned and the three man were set free after nearly twenty years of incarceration.

Some background exposition: Known as the Memphis Three, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly, and Jason Baldwin were three wild teenagers back in 1994. The town and jury all but convicted them by their Goth appearance and love of heavy metal music. Questionable witnesses and a shaky confession obtained by police from one of accused sent them to prison.

Berlinger and Sinosky persevered, as did others who feel that the verdict was unjust. Thus, their first documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations kept the story and the hopes of the Memphis Three alive. This final chapter, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, brings this sad tale to a close.

While the film uses newsreel footage of the crime and court testimony, plus endless interviews with the accused killers and family members and townsfolk, the documentary tries to remain objective, but never really does achieve that status. The film presents allegations of jury misconduct and uncovered DNA samples that can link a family member to the crime, but it never investigates those findings with much clarity. ( The film also could have been more effective if it included more of the aftermath once Echols, Misskelly, and Baldwin were released, observing their individual choices once freed. )

Still, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory does show the power of the documentary genre and the diligent efforts of the filmmakers to make a difference in the outcome of injustice. The tragic events that grew out of this heinous crime still linger with the families. ( One of the parents of the murdered boys asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to remove the documentary from consideration as they say the film glorifies their son's killers. The film remained in competition and is nominated for Best Documentary. ) Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory will linger with you too. GRADE: B

NOTE: Visit my movie blog for more reviews: www.dearmoviegoer.com

A Strange Conclusion

[JoelChamp85 · 9/10 · 6 August 2021]

This final of the trilogy brings some logical answers to some questions from the past two films. Being shot on digital, this doco feels more real than the other two, which seemed almost like fiction movies by the way they were shot on film and the craziness of the eras. In this latest the answers and investigating also seems more mature and realistic. The way it ends is really strange with the court system creating some weird ruling to get what they want without having any consequences to their actions. The story, beginning in the 90's, to this final conclusion is a really strange and intriguing story, and no doubt similar stories have happened over the past few thousand years of the same nature.

Leaves a bitter taste in the mouth

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 29 September 2013]

And so, after 18 years, the story of the West Memphis Three finally reaches its conclusion. As does Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's epic documentary trilogy. These films, as Echols confesses, were so important to their lives that without them, the judicial system would have forgotten about them and left them to rot for the rest of their lives (and until Echols' death by lethal injection). Purgatory picks the case up ten years after the second entry, Revelations, to find the case in a never-ending loop of denied appeals by original Judge David Burnett. With more evidence surfacing, the case is taken to the Arkansas Supreme Court, to argue that enough has been unearthed to warrant a new trial for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.

After spending way too much time going over what occurred in the first two documentaries (about 45 minutes - which is a massive drag if you've just watched them back-to-back), we finally get to new ground as new interviewees give statements and leading experts in their respective fields give lectures uncovering new revelations about misinterpretations and misconduct given by the original trial 'experts'. Much of the trial focused on these murders being the work of ritualistic sacrifice due to the sexual mutilations of the victims and scratches left on their persons. It turns out that these are clearly the work of animals, most probably turtles (the area where the bodies were found is nicknamed 'Turtle Hill'). It reveals poor research by the original lawyers working for the defendants, and general ineptitude by basically everyone involved back in 1993/94.

Purgatory commits the same sin as Revelations, as suspicion moves from a noticeably more subdued John Mark Byers - who is now a supporter of the West Memphis Three and pen-pal to Echols - to Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Stevie Branch. Although, accusations don't come from character alone, but instead stem from a hair found within the knot of the shoelace with which the boys were hog-tied with and some alarming inconsistencies in Hobbs' story. But (ironically), this is something for the court to pursue and not documentary film-makers. The ending, which sees the West Memphis Three released from prison but not with their innocence intact, comes out of nowhere, as filming had already wrapped when the court called the plea appeal. For a more satisfying closure to the story, I would recommend West of Memphis (2012), which gives a more detailed account of their release, and also a more focused and detailed investigation of Hobbs. Still, it's a relief to finally watch these three walk free, even though it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Closure?

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 3 January 2022]

I saw the first "Paradise Lost," I didn't see the second, and it seems it wasn't really necessary to watch the second. As strange and even off-putting as the West Memphis 3 were as teens, I didn't think they were guilty. The first "Paradise Lost" leaves that decision up to the viewer, "Paradise Lost 3" seeks to remove all doubt and flatly tells the viewer that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. Are not guilty.

It had been fourteen years between part one and part three and a lot had occurred over that time. The first thing is that the documentary created so much buzz that many people offered time and money to help the WM3 fight their convictions. From the first documentary new DNA evidence was discovered, evidence of jury misconduct was discovered, respected experts poked all kinds of holes in the case, John Mark Beyers changed his tune, and Damien Echols got married. It was a lot. This episode is the final episode. More than likely the case will be forever closed after "Purgatory." It was good to see this follow up. I don't think it needed to be two hours, but I do think it needed to be done.

West Memphis Freed

[p-stepien · 5/10 · 15 June 2013]

The (temporary) grand finale to one of the cases of the last few decades. Recapping the story about the West Memphis Three: Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, a trio of outcast youth convicted for the murder of three school-kids in the woods near Memphis. Back in 1993 a wild witch (or more truthfully satanist) hunt was initiated, pinning the whole gruesome murders onto dark-clad heavy-rock listening youth with a individualist spirit. Echols was deemed the ring-leader, Baldwin was made guilty by association, while Misskelley was the victim of police coercion and forced testimony. Together all suspects were sentenced with Echols being gifted a death verdict.

Throughout the years "Paradise Lost" has served as a saving grace for the three young boys, most likely wrongly convicted of any crime - almost all family members of the victims agree to this point of view. Eleven years after the second part was filmed this could well be the last part in this conviction of a corrupt legal system, who sentenced kids to hefty punishments based on prejudice and hearsay. To the most part "Paradise Lost 3" serves well as a source of information regarding the whole sequence of events, strongly insinuating the innocence of the accused. Largely relying on traditional storytelling methods the documentary basically hits home its message, without really exerting too much emotional involvement - a stark contrast to the previous parts.

The weakest link here seems however the need to focus on answering the question: If the West Memphis Three were innocent, than who committed these heinous acts? Much to the detriment to the overall trilogy. Many years ago part 2 strongly implicated John Mark Byers, the father of one of the victims as the murderer, most likely wrongfully so based on flimsy evidence and misconceptions. Despite not learning from that failure in connect the dots, "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" goes even further in its damnation of Terry Hobbs, stepfather of another boy, as the most likely suspect. Even though the evidence is purely circumstantial several of the people involved in the movie pinpoint the man as the perpetrator, dedicated a misguided prolonged segment to his person. Whether or not Hobbs is guilty remains a mystery best solved by forensic scientists and in court, not by documentary filmmakers, who have basically replicated the same sin committed by the courts, that sentenced the teenage threesome: implication based on prejudice and half-truths or unknowns. This runtime would have probably best serve to highlight how the freed men, after 18 years of incarceration, are now coping with integrating back into society - half a life wasted due to judicial incompetence. A definite red light in my book, hence a significantly lowered rating.

Nonetheless "Paradise Lost" serves it purpose as a key instrument of changing public perceptions on the death penalty and the frailties of police and justice systems, making a strong case for reasonable doubt in their objective functionality.

Things Will Never Be Right

[brownfrichard · 20 February 2012]

It's been 16 years and two sequels since I saw the first Paradise Lost documentary at the Film Forum in New York City. I'm glad the wrongfully accused are set free but I still feel the truth rots a in dark, incarcerated place. I remember that the first documentary, a compelling story of wrong compounded by wrong, was also a frustratingly unthorough piece of journalism. The synopsis is that in 1993 three eight year old boys were murdered and thrown in a ditch in West Memphis, Arkansas. Three teenage boys, to be nicknamed the West Memphis 3, were convicted of the murders under highly questionable investigatory and judicial procedures. The first film fell well short for me in providing a sufficient account of the prosecution's so called case. A year after seeing the first PL the friend I went to see it with called me up and said, "I heard those documentary guys made it all up to make the teenagers look good. When you hear the whole story they are totally guilty." Really? What's your source? None, really. Is there a whole story? I have always been convinced that the teenagers were railroaded. But after years of sequels, cult-like public outrage, websites, Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp I still have no idea what happened back in 1993. If the WM3 were not murdering cub scouts that night in 1993, where were they? None of these films have ever discussed an alibi. If a documentary is presenting itself as the balanced account of its subject matter and one side of the argument is being left out, there must be a reason. I can't speculate the reason because facts in this case have always been overshadowed by emotions, self-righteousness on behalf of the WM3 supporters, stubborn obfuscation by law enforcement, and repeated attempts by the filmmakers to offer alternative accusations that frankly are as shoddy and irresponsible as the lousy case against the teenagers. There is another feature documentary ,West Of Memphis, in circulation as well as many TV magazine pieces which may provide more information. I'd like to know if there is more to know about what happened the night those young boys were murdered, and I'd like to know more about what the police actually had on the WM3. In Purgatory the defense has gone to all the trouble of pulling together world renown criminal profilers and DNA experts. Yet the new documentary doesn't reveal one thing we didn't already know. These films succeeded in calling attention to injustice perpetrated on the accused and the fact that the real killer will never be brought to justice. The Arkansas court system created an outcome in which the case will never be reopened. The whole story is fascinating and sad, but these movies aren't very good either.