In 2002, pro-death penalty Illinois Governor George Ryan is at the end of his term. A group of Northwestern student does a class project and exonerates death row inmates. The Chicago Tribune writes about the story and Ryan comes to question the infallibility of the death sentence. Ryan claims 13 are released with 12 executed. The system has become no better than a coin flip. He institutes a clemency board to review all of the convictions. The movie examines the history of the death penalty from its use against minorities, the 1972 Supreme Court case abolishing it, the 1976 case reinstating it and various convicts facing that final walk.It's a compelling and important issue. It's also a fascinating moment in time for this issue. This has plenty of information. However it's not much more than a TV investigative report. It's very scattered. It needs to concentrate on fewer people. The doc needs to concentrate on that university class and their cases and Governor Ryan. Some of the convicts seem to be presented as innocent but they are just as easily be lying.

My wife and I watched this dramatic documentary on Free Speech T.V. I was prompted to call two death penalty attorney friends in Colorado and Oregon to alert them that it was playing.It documents the initiative that caused journalism students in Chicago to pursue old, closed cases, to find that a dozen innocent men had been condemned to death. They uncovered law enforcement malfeasance, rigged trials, even the identity of a true murderer from whom they obtained a confession and corroboration from the killer's wife.Besides the human drama other commentators here have noted, it displays a stellar example of community organizing and media work.The cinematography is near-flawless, the editing superb.Perhaps the most stirring part of the entire film is the documentation of the angst felt by the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, who wrestled with competing interests of the families of both victims and the convicted, with pressures from all sides of the political spectrum and how he ultimately resolved himself to the decision he made.At the end, one litigant's attorney states that if justice was so flawed in Chicago, how bad might it be in other states, such as Florida (where James Joseph Richardson was railroaded for the murders of his seven children and spent 19 years in prison, including three on death row, while the true killer was ignored), North Carolina (see review for the "Trials of Darryl Hunt" on IMDb) and Texas (where George Bush and Alberto Gonzales were involved in the execution of the wrongfully convicted such as Ruben Cantu)?

may be some spoilers...kirsten johnson, one of two directors for this film, was also a cinematographer on fahrenheit 9/11 and derrida, so she's a talent to watch. this documentary is similar to thin blue line or brother's keeper, but takes a more systemic, macro view of the issue. it focuses on the governor of illinois' struggle with whether or not to commute all death penalty sentences. the film saves that decision for the end and builds the argument against the death penalty using a two-pronged attack - it highlights both the ethical and systemic problems. the film convincingly demonstrates the fact that the death penalty is largely applied to the poor and people of color, and shows dozens of cases which were overturned - some only because college classes took up cases as class projects. there is a token effort made to show the opinions of the other side. captures some emotional footage including one hearing in which the parents of a murderer and his victim are in the same room. the victim's father makes his plea to the court for the death penalty and turns to the mother of the murderer and says "i'm sorry, but i can't forgive your son for what he did. i just want him to die." she says she understands and feels horrible, but still doesn't think it's right to kill her son in retaliation. the hero of the film is governor ryan who, despite having orgins as a small town republican, honestly weighed the facts and made an informed and gutsy decision. thumbs up to him and this film. B+.

Riveting documentary that explores the flaws found in the Illinois criminal justice system and how the governor, George Ryan, was left to singlehandely decide the fate of over 150 Death Row inmates. The filmmakers superbly tell the tale of how local journalism students discovered multiple people sentenced to death in Illinois were innocent. As the stunningly emotional clemency hearings are held, the film takes a step further, exploring the whole ugly issue of the death penalty in the United States. The depth and complexity of the subject matter will be appreciated by those interested in sociology and law enforcement, but the film's real draw is its powerful human drama.9/10