Deadline

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Deadline, a documentary about the death penalty that focuses on a the clemency decisions Illinois governor Ryan faced in his last days in office (2002 or 2004, I forget which year).

It tells a full story of the death penalty in the United States, and explores many sides of the issues. It is clear, however, that the filmmakers are opposed to capital punishment. Their arguments include the fact that the system is plagued with racial and class inequalities that make punishment unjust, as well as the problem of innocence -- wrongful convictions -- about which there is a tremendous amount of disturbing evidence.

What made this film work for me, however, is the drama of the governor's decision. Even though I knew that he granted blanket clemency to all the 166 offenders on death row, I was deeply moved at his speech. I also found the families of homicide victims against capital punishment to be very moving.