It's a sad testament to the American Justice system that we hear almost everyday about someone who was wrongly accused and convicted of a crime. In almost every case you hear about, the accused ends up being someone from a middle to lower class life. It's almost always a person who cannot afford to hire a rich and powerful lawyer. Or even worse, the media and all its frenzy gets in on the act and convicts an accused person before a trial even begins. What is even sadder to me is how often I hear of a convicted person having their sentence turned around because of DNA evidence, only to have them wait in jail until a new trial can be set… and sometimes that takes additional years. But the worst of all is when someone is accused of a crime they did not commit and be executed for it. Such was the case on August 23, 1927 when Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed for the robbery and murder of two men.

Being that the accused were Italian Immigrants known for their political leanings towards anarchy, they were railroaded in a sensationalized murder trial and put to death. It did not matter that the pair hardly knew each other prior to the crime, it did not matter that the evidence against them was circumstantial and in most cases made up, it did not matter that someone eventually confessed to the murders… Sacco and Vanzetti paid the ultimate price for a crime they did not commit.

I have always had a fascination with history, and for some reason I've focused on the history of crime and punishment. I am no expert in the subject, but I read up quite a bit about it. The Sacco & Vanzetti case has come up more than once in my readings, though I rarely found that much detailed information on it. However, I recently watched a documentary that was released this month on DVD that brought the entire case front and center. "Sacco and Vanzetti", directed by Peter Miller offers an extremely detailed look into how these men's lives were ruined, and eventually ended at the hands of a criminal courts system wildly out of control.

We hear from experts who painstakingly re-create the events that led up to their arrest, trial and execution. But even more heartbreaking are letters written to their families throughout the ordeal, read by Tony Shalhoub and John Turturro. These writings bring dignity to the names Sacco & Vanzetti, even as they accept their eventual fate. Even sadder is the fact that after all of these years, those in charge of the State of Massachusetts will not face the fact that that these men were falsely accused. To date, their names have still not been officially cleared.

"Sacco and Vanzetti" is an extremely well-produced documentary, and the DVD affords not only the opportunity to learn the facts of the case, but to follow them up with an interview with the director and suggested reading material.

Directed by: Peter Miller
Starring (the voices of): Tony Shalhoub, John Turturro
Extras: Interview with the Director, Sacco & Vanzetti FAQ, Archival Photo Gallery, Suggested Reading
Studio: First Run Features
Release Date: 8/21/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Sacco and Vanzetti an A.