After Innocence (2005)

 

 

 

After Innocence is a documentary film which premiered in 2005. It is about the criminal justice system in the US with special focus on what happens to former prisoners who have been exonerated: what happens after innocence has been proved? What happens once they have been released?

 

Here is some basic information about it:

 

** Directed by Jessica Sanders

** Written by Jessica Sanders and Marc H. Simon

** Run time: 95 minutes

 

Seven former prisoners are portrayed in this film. Here are their names in alphabetical order:

 

** Herman Atkins

** Wilton Dedge

** Scott Hornoff

** Dennis Maher

** Vincent Moto

** Calvin Willis

** Nick Yarris

 

For each of the seven former prisoners we hear briefly about their case and their release, but the main focus is on what happened to them after their release. How are they dealing with freedom? How are they doing now, when they are outside the prison?

 

They are free, but perhaps they are not really free. Since they have lost many years, and since they were treated so badly by the judicial system, it is not easy to start a new life. In this film we see how they try to cope with the new situation.

 

We also meet Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, co-founders of The Innocence Project, an independent legal organisation which tries to help prisoners who are victims of a wrongful conviction.

 

When The Innocence Project can document innocence and secure the release of an innocent person, the success is often based on the testing of DNA material, which can exclude the person who is in prison. Somebody else committed the crime.

 

What do reviewers say about this film? Here are the results of three review aggregators:

 

74 per cent = Meta

78 per cent = IMDb

81 per cent = Rotten tomatoes (the audience)

91 per cent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

As you can see, the ratings are quite good. When you look at Rotten Tomatoes, you can see that there is a difference between the critics and the audience. It seems the professional critics like this film more than the general audience.

 

I understand the numerous positive reviews. What we have here is a captivating, dramatic and emotional account. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

 

PS. Calvin Willis is one of the seven former prisoners who are portrayed in this film. A historical drama about him and his case, The Wronged Man, premiered in 2010.

 

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