Into the Abyss

Sophie listed Herzog's films in an early post. The most recent is "Into the Abyss," about death row inmates in the United States. It got a very positive review in the New York Times.

A.O. Scott, the reviewer, links it to some of the films we have been discussing:

Mr. Herzog is an excellent listener, a quality that distinguishes his recent documentaries, notably “Grizzly Man,” “Encounters at the End of the World” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” All of those, come to think of it, could have been called “Into the Abyss” — the title would also suit “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and just about anything else starring Klaus Kinski — and this film is linked to its predecessors by a fascination with human behavior in extremis. What is most disconcerting for an American viewer is how close to home the extremity is, as if the heart of darkness lurked among your friends and neighbors.