Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 26
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 2
Shakespeare Behind Bars is a moving testament to the power -- and universality -- of art.
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 2
Shakespeare Behind Bars is a moving testament to the power -- and universality -- of art.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 669
Some 20 male inmates in a Kentucky prison form a Shakespearean acting troupe.
Jan 21, 2005 Wide
Jul 18, 2006
All Critics (28) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (2) | DVD (10)
This fascinating video documentary covers a nine-month rehearsal of Shakespeare's final play by inmates at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in La Grange, Kentucky.
The up-close interviews with the prisoners, many of whom are in jail for murder, are the heart of the film.
Rogerson and producer Jilann Spitzmiller ably convey the humanity of the inmates while also exposing them as deeply flawed individuals. The film also reconfirms the enduring relevance and power of Shakespeare and his adaptability to almost any milieu.
Few non-fiction films about the arts hit as hard or soar to such heights of poetry and humanity.
Observes as the inmates use theater to massage knots of guilt and anguish in their psyches.
The film makes the case -- one that always needs making -- that, despite what they've done, these men retain some shred of humanity.
... a small triumph
... a truly compelling examination of the extent to which art can lift the human spirit, no matter how tragic the surrounding circumstances may be.
It's a tribute to the dry-eyed empathy of the filmmakers that these men, guilty of the most heinous crimes of murder and violence, somehow manage to win your sympathy.
I found this documentary to be sobering, even optimistic ... it's a reminder that being human means being complex.
Albeit a tad repetitive, Shakespeare Behind Bars succeeds in humanizing men we might too easily label as monsters, and provides a solid argument in favor of prisons that place rehabilitation above retribution.
Perhaps it's just the inner drama geek talking, but there's something extremely compelling about seeing hardened felons preparing to put on a classic play with the enthusiasm of giddy schoolgirls.
By presenting murderers as actors and then filming those actors discussing their sins, the line between performance and soul-searching blurs in unnerving ways.
For once, here's a prison movie without a riot or an impromptu cafeteria fight in which one inmate bashes the other over the head with a food tray.
Rogerson has crafted an emotionally satisfying exploration of the creative process through people who, before the program started, weren't comfortable with expressing themselves at all.
The search for inner forgiveness is a ribbon that runs throughout the film...
Hmm...mixed feelings. First of all, I don't think the program is THAT big a deal, like people are making it out to be. Sure, some of the inmates might be profoundly moved by the play, but I hardly think they're representative of the population. (wow...I think in terms of psychology now -_-). Some of it seemed too
December 7, 2007Super Reviewer
Interesting film about the reality of prisons and its victims. The documentary inspires hope in the hearts of murderers, rapists, and theives.
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