Delayed Reaction: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

The Pitch: It's time to give the story of the West Memphis 3 some kind of happy ending.

There's something undeniably fascinating about films that document the passage of time. Most films are a snapshot. They are looks at filmmakers, performers, etc. at a specific point in time. Ray may follow decades of Ray Charles' life, but it's through the lens of Taylor Hackford (director) and Jamie Foxx (actor) in 2004. Occasionally, films capture the passage of time. Richard Linklater has received much praise for it for films like Boyhood or the Before series. However, the films that best capture this are documentary films. One can either dedicate all the time beforehand, like Hoop Dreams, which is incredibly risky, or with planned installments like the 7 Up series*, which carries slightly less risk. The Paradise Lost series is kind of an accidental time capsule. When HBO made the first film and released it in 1996, I assume they expected to be done with it like all the other crime-docs they've made. Then the series got tremendous response. That motivated them to make a follow-up a few years later that, if I'm being honest, didn't have much to say. Amazingly, over a decade later, they end the series with a documentary that couldn't be more perfect if they'd planned it back in 1996.

*I haven't written about the 7 Up series. I've been working through it over the last couple years. It's a phenomenal series, unlike anything else I've come across. I highly recommend them.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is remarkable. It is uncanny mix of accomplished filmmaking, a wealth of footage, and perfect timing. This was not filmed as the story of how the West Memphis 3 were released from prison. In fact, the documentary was set to premiere in September 2011 as a story of three men still wrongfully imprisoned. On August 19 of that year, the WM3 were suddenly released from prison, changing everything. The film was then delayed so that it could be completely reworked. As a result, the film takes on a whole new weight.

I'm sure you could get a great deal out of the story just watching Purgatory. It pulls plenty of footage from the previous two films to tell the story of these three men. You would be depriving yourself though. Part 1 is about the WM3 and the trials that sent them to prison. Part 2 is about the growing grassroots movement to prove their innocence. Part 3 is the culmination of all that work and how everyone made the best of a broken system to finally get their freedom. What blew me away was how the filmmakers had so much unused footage from the first two movies that played perfectly to inform the situation in 2011. It's like the filmmakers back in 1996 or 2000 knew this footage would have a use later and held it back until 2011, when it would have the greatest impact. There's no way the filmmakers could have had a master plan for all this, but they sure make it look like they did.

Please, watch these documentaries. They are worth it. I've heard that West of Memphis, a single documentary about the same topic is even better. I can't imagine how, but that excites me.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend