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Back in 1993,
a documentary called “Brother’s
Keeper” started making the festival
circuit, and went on to become one of the
most successful non-fiction films of all
time. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce
Sinofsky gained access to the central figures
of one of the most bizarre murder cases
in U.S history.
Living in the outskirts of Munnsville,
New York, the ‘Ward Boys’ were
a quartet of brothers who had lived together
for over sixty years in a rickety two-room
shack. During their time together, they
lived in almost total isolation from the
rest of the world. They lived a simple life,
with no heat or electricity, and for the
most part no one paid them any attention.
Then on the morning of June 6, 1990, all
that changed. One of the brothers, Bill,
was found dead in his bed, and by the end
of the day, brother Delbert had ‘confessed’
to suffocating him as an act of mercy. “Brother’s
Keeper” follows the subsequent
trial, as well as taking a look at the daily
lives of the remaining brothers and the
townspeople who came to their defense.
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Over the last ten years, “Brother’s
Keeper” was the one documentary I always
meant to watch but never found the opportunity.
I had seen the filmmakers other work, “Paradise
Lost” which followed a similar ‘witch
hunt’ trial surrounding the death of three
young boys. That film was particularly grim, but
a must watch if ever there was one. It was followed
by a sequel, giving us the chance to see ‘what
happened next’, but I have not had the chance
to see that one (yet).
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to watch
the Ten-Year Anniversary DVD of “Brother’s
Keeper”, I’d like to report that
it was worth the wait. It is unlike any other
documentary I’ve seen to date. What makes
it so fascinating, aside from it’s unflinching
look at the facts surrounding the case, is watching
how the filmmakers gained access to the brother’s
lives, going so far as to make create an emotional
attachment to them. This is normally a no-no in
the world of documentaries, as the resulting films
often become a bit subjective. Here, this is not
the case. Berlinger and Sinofsky, create a film
that gives us the straight facts, without making
any attempt to prove guilt or innocence.
As if the film itself wasn’t worth watching,
the new DVD release by Docurama and IFC offers
a tremendous amount of extra features, giving
us an even further look at the case. First is
the commentary by the filmmakers, which allows
them the opportunity to speak freely about their
personal feelings and memories of the brothers.
Their making of the film was a very personal experience,
and together, they reveal insights not touched
upon in the film itself.
There are some deleted scenes as well, most of
which simply touch upon situations already alluded
to in the film, and the filmmakers comment on
their decisions to cut them. One in particular,
was originally meant to serve as the film’s
ending, but has been included here as a ten minute
short film, “The Wards Take Manhatten.”
Taking place after the trial, the brothers visit
Berlinger and Sinofsky in the city, and along
with showing them out of their element, also cements
the bond created between them and the filmmakers.
“Brother’s Keeper” is
by far, one of the most fascinating documentaries
I have ever seen. The story proves the old ‘truth
is stranger than fiction’ adage, and thanks
to the filmmakers’ terrific style of editing,
it is told in a quickly paced fashion, that never
grows tired. I will warn some younger viewers,
though that in looking at the life these people
led, there are some scenes that were hard to take,
such as the slaughtering of a pig. I hated seeing
it, but it was necessary to realistically paint
the picture of a life far removed from what is
considered the ‘norm’ by us city-folk.
Directed by: Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky
Extras: Filmmaker Commentary by Berlinger &
Sinofsky, Deleted Scenes, Original Theatrical
Trailer, Exclusive Short Feature “The Wards
Take Manahtten”, Photo Gallery
Studio: Docurama
Release Date: 7/29/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Brother's Keeper an A.
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