Recommended. When
I saw the previews of Pierrepoint, I thought it was a Hitchcock biopic. And in
a way, the two real life characters are similar. Albert Pierrepoint was England’s
famous hangman of the 30’s and 40’s, who executed the Nuremburg war criminals. Timothy Spall (Vanilla Sky, Secrets and Lies) plays
him like the working class craftsmen both Hitch and Pierrepoint were. And
clearly, the trap hinges on Spall’s talented portrayal. Spall’s amazing face
hides everything until the façade cracks and his underlying pain and anger are
revealed. Thoughtful opponents of capital punishment focus not on the evildoers
cast to the afterlife but on the evil that killing does to the killers.
Although society is one victim, so too, the actual executioners and that is the
theme of Pierrepoint. Direction (Adrian Shergold) is better than adequate and
the other actors (Eddie Marson, Juliet Stevenson) are fine; the hangman stands
alone.
Comments