Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 9
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 0
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Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0
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The third part of the Paradise Lost trilogy, examining the case of the notorious West Memphis 3. This final version chronicles the last years in prison and eventual release of the three men accused of brutally murdering three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. The men were released after entering an Alford plea on August 19, 2011, allowing them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict.
Oct 28, 2008
All Critics (9) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (0)
The new film is more informational than resonant. But you can still sense a vacuum, a rat pit of stories waiting to be unearthed. The dark something that triggered the whole ordeal in West Memphis is still out there.
First and foremost a testament to the power of the documentary.
Destined to rank as one of the major achievements in American documentary, the Paradise Lost project comes to a presumed end with Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.
This third film, an inarguably powerful knockout punch, reminds us of the documentary film's power to change people's lives.
Tells us clearly something is rotten about the American judicial system.
The conclusion to the trilogy about the plight of three wrongly convicted men has an intriguingly new, if bittersweet, slant. It's an understatement to say that the documentary format comes off a lot better than the justice system.
[U]pdate[s,] reinterprets the original material and incorporates old outtakes and photographs. . .for comprehensive forensic and legal analysis [but] confusingly organized.
What's bound to be overlooked is how "Purgatory" is a triumph of actual filmmaking.
More a glorified DVD supplement than a documentary.
Each Paradise Lost sequel has assumed that the viewer is unfamiliar with the story from the first film, and has relied heavily on recaps and flashbacks to bring the audience up to speed. Paradise lost 2 did this by just showing scenes from part 1 and lots of on-screen text telling you what has happened. Paradise Lost
October 14, 2011Super Reviewer
The final (thus far) chapter in the saga. I would highly recommend watching the first 2 parts first to get the full impact of the story.
February 4, 2012
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