Into the Abyss (film)

Into the Abyss
Directed byWerner Herzog
Written byWerner Herzog
Produced byErik Nelson
StarringWerner Herzog
Michael Perry
Jason Burkett
Narrated byWerner Herzog
CinematographyPeter Zeitlinger
Edited byJoe Bini[1]
Music byMark Degli Antoni[1]
Production
companies
Investigation Discovery
Creative Differences
Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
Spring Films
More4
Revolver Entertainment
Distributed byIFC Films
Sundance Selects
Release dates
  • September 8, 2011 (2011-09-08) (TIFF)
  • November 11, 2011 (2011-11-11) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes[2]
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom
Germany
LanguageEnglish
Box office$393,714

Into the Abyss (subtitled A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life) is a 2011 documentary film written and directed by Werner Herzog. It is about capital punishment, and focuses on a triple homicide that occurred in Montgomery County, Texas, in 2001. In the film, Herzog interviews the two young men convicted of the crime, Michael Perry (who received a death sentence) and Jason Burkett (who was given a life sentence), as well as family members and acquaintances of the victims and criminals, and individuals who have taken part in executions in Texas. The primary focus of the film is not the details of the case or the question of Michael and Jason's guilt or innocence, and, although Herzog's voice can be heard as he conducts the interviews, there is a minimal amount of narration, and he never appears onscreen, unlike in many of his films.[3][4]

The film was first screened on September 3, 2011, at the Telluride Film Festival,[5] and had its official world premiere on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival.[6] After strong festival showings and a surge of interest in the issue of capital punishment in the United States, Herzog requested that the film be rushed into general theatrical release, which occurred on November 11, 2011.[7]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tiffnote was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Werner Herzog Film: Into the Abyss". Wernerherzog.com. 2010-07-01. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  3. ^ "Werner Herzog's Prison Doc Now Titled Gazing Into The Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale Of Life". Indiewire. June 20, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-23. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Debruge, Peter (September 3, 2011). "Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Fernandez, Jay A. (September 3, 2011). "Telluride 2011: 'Into the Abyss' vs. 'Pina' in a Documentary Doubleheader". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. ^ "Watch: 3 Powerful Clips & New Photos From Werner Herzog's Death Row Documentary Into The Abyss". Indiewire. August 5, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference deadline was invoked but never defined (see the help page).