London Film Festival review - West of Memphis

The West Memphis Three

Director Amy Berg does not shy away from heavy subjects. Her first film, the Oscar-nominated Deliver Us From Evil, examined the cover up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.  This, her second feature, examines the murder of three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas in 1993, and the litany of mistakes and lies involved in the ensuing investigation and trials. West of Memphis is an exquisitely detailed look at how justice can remain elusive, and it is likely to make you very, very angry at the unfairness of it all.

When the bodies of three little boys – Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore – were found naked in a ditch in May 1993, the police believed that the murders had been part of a satanic ritual. Three teenage boys – Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, known as the West Memphis Three - were arrested. Misskelley, who has learning difficulties, confessed after a long interrogation, and implicated the other two boys. At the trial, witnesses came forward attesting that they had bragged about killing the little boys as part of an occult rite. In the end Echols was sentenced to death, and the other two were sentenced to life in prison.

Berg examines the “facts” presented at trial in detail. The level of incompetence on display and the wilful disregard for the truth is astonishing. But this documentary is not just about bashing the police or the American criminal justice system. It also looks at the effect of the crime on the families involved, adding to the emotional impact. The mother of Stevie Branch is interviewed extensively, and her words are painful to watch.

Despite the bleakness of the horrific events and their aftermath, there is some light in this film.  A huge campaign was launched in support of the West Memphis Three. People marched carrying banners, concerts were held, and celebrities got involved – really involved. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Henry Rollins of Black Flag campaigned for over a decade, becoming friends of Damien Echols. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and his wife Fran Walsh (producers of this film) paid for private detectives, forensic experts and DNA tests. In this case, people power ultimately made the difference.

West of Memphis is a relentless look at how a triple tragedy became a sextuple one, and how hope can stay alive in the face of tremendous odds.  I urge you to see it.