Page 6
January 8, 2020
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
Death Penalty Drama Unfolds
Shining a light
on inhumanity of
judicial executions
d wight b rown
A dedicated prison warden who over-
sees mostly African-American men on
death row has her faith in the justice sys-
tem increasingly strained in “Clemency,” a
new film now showing in theaters nation-
wide that gives a behind-the-scenes look at
the inhumanity that follows death penalty
convictions.
The film stars Alfie Woodard as the
black prison superintendent Bernadine
Williams whose duties are to carry out
death row executions.
Sensitive, prepared and orderly—almost
to a fault, her routine is her rock: Rehearse
the staff. Arrange last meal. Be cordial to
lawyers and families. Oversee lethal injec-
tions. Repeat.
Never an emotion on her face, she dis-
penses compassion with detached feelings.
Like an overworked funeral director on a
busy day. Outwardly, she looks unflappable
by
photo by p aul s arkis /n eon f ilms
In the new film “Clemency,” Alfre
Woodard stars as a dedicated prison
warden who oversees death row inmates
in a facility housing mostly African-
American men, but whose faith in the
justice system is increasingly strained.
and has had few failures. Then there’s that
inevitable catastrophe. One that weighs on
her psyche, keeps her distant from her hus-
band (Wendell Pierce) and aggravates a
drinking problem.
Writer/director Chinonye Chukwu has
done her homework. Her drama is not
about the alpha males in incarceration
that lord over inmates. Or the brawls on
the prison recreation yard. Or redemp-
tion. It’s about the toll legally killing
people levies, on all involved.
The supporting cast is exceptional: Al-
dis Hodge as the cop-killer next in line
for death; Richard Schiff the convict’s
hopeful lawyer; Danielle Brooks a per-
son from the prisoner’s past; and Wen-
dell Pierce the husband who watches his
wife’s essence fade way bit by bit.
By the end of the movie, you’re not
sure if Williams is a saint in trouble or
an abettor whose time has come. Her di-
lemma will make you ponder the ethics
of judicial executions. Getting you to that
point is why Chinonye Chukwu is equal
parts filmmaker, educator, intellectual
and sage.
Dwight Brown is a film critic for the
National Newspaper Publishers Associa-
tion, representing media from the Black
Press.
photo by
m iChael d urham ,
o regon Z oo .
Courtesy of the
New Arrivals
Usher in New Year
The New Year is bringing plenty of
kidding around at the Oregon Zoo as
two young Rocky Mountain goats are
settling into their new home. The fluffy
5-month-olds — a male named Murphy
and a female named Lena — last month
joined adult mountain goats Sassy and
Montane in the rocky Cascade Crest
habitat near the zoo’s main entrance.