*My review of Clemency was originally published on Film Inquiry. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
Though it is a mercilessly dark film for its entire runtime, writer/director Chinonye Chukwu‘s Clemency begins with what has to be one of the most unforgettable scenes of the year. The time has come for another execution in the rigid, orderly prison of Warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard), and everyone involved treats it like business as usual. Bernadine is ice cold and methodical, and even when the execution begins to go terribly wrong, she’s mostly unflappable in the face of enormous pressure. Chukwu shoots the entire endeavor in the most clinical way possible; like Bernadine, the film is emotionally removed, almost frigid in its portrayal of this disturbing event. But the chilliness has a point: capital punishment is portrayed as inhuman and emotionless—as it should be.
When your film begins with a haunting death, shown in procedural-like detail, it’s hard to ever really escape that event. Clemency never tries to avoid the brutality of its topic: the idea of death hangs over every character, either as a looming physical threat or the principal constraint of a job that is beginning to take an emotional toll. Bernadine, more shaken by this botched execution than she initially lets on, eventually falls into a First Reformed-esque crisis of doubt. Her faith in the system—in the world of order and process that she has maintained so carefully for years—is finally beginning to collapse.
Bernadine’s spiritual and personal crossroads coincides with the impending execution of another prisoner, Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), who was convicted of murdering a police officer despite shaky evidence. The Woods case is extremely high-profile: protesters gather outside the prison, family members for the deceased lobby Bernadine to squash the dissent, and attorney Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff) spends his days pushing the state to delay the execution. With a crumbling home life and a job that is more stressful than ever, Bernadine faces the fact that her ability to handle these crises may be failing.
Dramatically spare and often eerily silent, Clemency is a deeply introspective film, focused intently on a character who is unable to process the complexities of her life in a healthy way. As played by Woodard, Bernadine is so trapped by her conflicting emotions that we’re practically waiting for her to collapse. Chukwu‘s script is relentlessly internal, keeping the more extravagant expressions of raw anger to a minimum. The film sometimes tips into sentimentality and manipulation, but it’s forgivable in the face of such sustained intensity.
Clemency falters more notably in its second half—what initially works well as a solo character study becomes a bit sloppier when Chukwu shifts attention to Anthony Woods’ heartbreaking plight. The Woods subplot is essential, and Hodge is marvelous in the role, but the trade-off is Bernadine’s absence from the narrative for long stretches. A film that, to this point, has been driven by her deteriorating emotional state loses its disciplined focus. It’s a questionable move that threatens to derail the narrative, but Chukwu brings it all together for an equally nauseating and unshakable conclusion. With tears streaming down her face, Bernadine’s journey is captured in a stunning close-up, held by the camera for what feels like minutes. It’s a film that doesn’t quite know how to move from its harrowing opening to its tragic destination, but for those two moments alone, Clemency proves to be a painful, yet breathtaking experience.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.5/10)
Though it is a mercilessly dark film for its entire runtime, writer/director Chinonye Chukwu‘s Clemency begins with what has to be one of the most unforgettable scenes of the year. The time has come for another execution in the rigid, orderly prison of Warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard), and everyone involved treats it like business as usual. Bernadine is ice cold and methodical, and even when the execution begins to go terribly wrong, she’s mostly unflappable in the face of enormous pressure. Chukwu shoots the entire endeavor in the most clinical way possible; like Bernadine, the film is emotionally removed, almost frigid in its portrayal of this disturbing event. But the chilliness has a point: capital punishment is portrayed as inhuman and emotionless—as it should be.
When your film begins with a haunting death, shown in procedural-like detail, it’s hard to ever really escape that event. Clemency never tries to avoid the brutality of its topic: the idea of death hangs over every character, either as a looming physical threat or the principal constraint of a job that is beginning to take an emotional toll. Bernadine, more shaken by this botched execution than she initially lets on, eventually falls into a First Reformed-esque crisis of doubt. Her faith in the system—in the world of order and process that she has maintained so carefully for years—is finally beginning to collapse.
Bernadine’s spiritual and personal crossroads coincides with the impending execution of another prisoner, Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), who was convicted of murdering a police officer despite shaky evidence. The Woods case is extremely high-profile: protesters gather outside the prison, family members for the deceased lobby Bernadine to squash the dissent, and attorney Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff) spends his days pushing the state to delay the execution. With a crumbling home life and a job that is more stressful than ever, Bernadine faces the fact that her ability to handle these crises may be failing.
Dramatically spare and often eerily silent, Clemency is a deeply introspective film, focused intently on a character who is unable to process the complexities of her life in a healthy way. As played by Woodard, Bernadine is so trapped by her conflicting emotions that we’re practically waiting for her to collapse. Chukwu‘s script is relentlessly internal, keeping the more extravagant expressions of raw anger to a minimum. The film sometimes tips into sentimentality and manipulation, but it’s forgivable in the face of such sustained intensity.
Clemency falters more notably in its second half—what initially works well as a solo character study becomes a bit sloppier when Chukwu shifts attention to Anthony Woods’ heartbreaking plight. The Woods subplot is essential, and Hodge is marvelous in the role, but the trade-off is Bernadine’s absence from the narrative for long stretches. A film that, to this point, has been driven by her deteriorating emotional state loses its disciplined focus. It’s a questionable move that threatens to derail the narrative, but Chukwu brings it all together for an equally nauseating and unshakable conclusion. With tears streaming down her face, Bernadine’s journey is captured in a stunning close-up, held by the camera for what feels like minutes. It’s a film that doesn’t quite know how to move from its harrowing opening to its tragic destination, but for those two moments alone, Clemency proves to be a painful, yet breathtaking experience.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.5/10)
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