TV Review: Death Row

Part two of Werner Herzog’s controversial documentary series Death Rowprovided another fascinating look into the psyche of American prisoners awaiting the ultimate punishment.

Herzog this time goes head-to-head with a different kind of death row inmate than in the previous episode as he meets James Barnes, a chillingly articulate man who was sentenced to death after the murder of his wife in 1998 but then proceeds to confess to two further unsolved murders during the programme.

After a brief background to his crimes, the main focus of the hour-long episode is his relationship with his family and his formative years which would go on to have a devastating effect on his crime-ridden life.

Despite maintaining a relatively calm demeanour throughout, Barnes did show a chink in his emotional armour late on as tears welled up in his eyes when told by Herzog his abusive father still loved him.

This was a moment which added a further emotional dimension to the episode and one which shows why Herzog is so revered by many for his work.
 

Death Rowcontinues next Thursday at 10pm on Channel 4.