Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
Encyclopedia
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is a 1996 documentary film
directed by Joe Berlinger
and Bruce Sinofsky
about the trials of three teenage boys who came to be known as the West Memphis 3
in West Memphis, Arkansas
. They were accused of the murder and sexual mutilation of three prepubescent boys. The boys on trial for the crime were Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin. The film was followed by two sequels: Paradise Lost 2: Revelations
and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
.
, known as "Robin Hood Hills".
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
interview numerous people connected with the case, including the parents of the victims, the parents of the accused, members of the West Memphis Police Department (WMPD) and all the protagonists involved in the trial. Berlinger and Sinofsky are not filmed themselves, and the dialogue is provided by the interviewee, rather than using a "Q & A" format.
The film starts with an introduction to the case, before moving on to the arrests of the three teenagers. Much of the community, including the detectives and the victims' parents believe the murders were committed by the teenagers as part of a Satanic ritual. The community is shown to be politically conservative and strongly Evangelical Christian. Because Misskelley had provided police with a confession, his trial is separated from that of Damien and Jason, and is covered in the first half of the film.
Part two of the film documents the trials of Echols and Baldwin. Like the coverage of Misskelley's trial, there are interviews with both defendants, their attorneys and their families. The families of the victims also share their views.
During the course of the filming, John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the victims (Christopher Byers), gives the filmmakers a knife which has blood in the hinge. The filmmakers turn the knife over to police, who examine it; the DNA
is similar to that of himself and the boy but the evidence is nonetheless inconclusive since the DNA evidence produced was fragmented and can not provide concrete links.
allowed their music to be used in a movie. A decade later the directors made Some Kind of Monster
about Metallica.
(2000), which suggests that further evidence was missed or suppressed and attempts to prove Echols' innocence.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Joe Berlinger
Joe Berlinger
Joseph "Joe" Berlinger is an American documentary film-maker who, in collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky, has created such films as Paradise Lost about the West Memphis 3, Brother's Keeper, Some Kind of Monster, and Crude....
and Bruce Sinofsky
Bruce Sinofsky
Bruce Sinofsky is an award-winning documentary film director, who began his career at Maysles Films.Sinofsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As Senior Editor for Maysles, he worked on commercials and feature films until 1991, when he and Joe Berlinger formed their own production company,...
about the trials of three teenage boys who came to be known as the West Memphis 3
West Memphis 3
The West Memphis Three are three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin was...
in West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
. They were accused of the murder and sexual mutilation of three prepubescent boys. The boys on trial for the crime were Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin. The film was followed by two sequels: Paradise Lost 2: Revelations
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations is the 2000 sequel to the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, about the trial and conviction of three teenagers known as the West Memphis 3 accused of murdering three young boys in a Satanic ritual abuse.-Description:In Paradise Lost...
and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is a 2011 documentary film and sequel to the films Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. The three films chronicle the arrest, 18 year imprisonment, and eventual release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie...
.
Description
The film documents the events from the arrests of Misskelley, Echols and Baldwin for the murders of Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch. Their naked and hogtied bodies were discovered in a ditch in a wooded area of West Memphis, ArkansasWest Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
, known as "Robin Hood Hills".
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky are a team of American documentary filmmakers that have received large critical acclaim and cult-fame since their debut true-crime film, Brother's Keeper -The West Memphis Three:...
interview numerous people connected with the case, including the parents of the victims, the parents of the accused, members of the West Memphis Police Department (WMPD) and all the protagonists involved in the trial. Berlinger and Sinofsky are not filmed themselves, and the dialogue is provided by the interviewee, rather than using a "Q & A" format.
The film starts with an introduction to the case, before moving on to the arrests of the three teenagers. Much of the community, including the detectives and the victims' parents believe the murders were committed by the teenagers as part of a Satanic ritual. The community is shown to be politically conservative and strongly Evangelical Christian. Because Misskelley had provided police with a confession, his trial is separated from that of Damien and Jason, and is covered in the first half of the film.
Trials coverage
The first trial to be covered in the film is that of Misskelley, a trial which was severed from those of Echols and Baldwin since it was Jessie who submitted a confession. A lot of emphasis is placed on the fact that there is a strong possibility that the confession was coerced. Interviews are conducted with Jessie's family and friends, Misskelley himself and his attorney Dan Stidham. Misskelley is sentenced to life in prison.Part two of the film documents the trials of Echols and Baldwin. Like the coverage of Misskelley's trial, there are interviews with both defendants, their attorneys and their families. The families of the victims also share their views.
During the course of the filming, John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the victims (Christopher Byers), gives the filmmakers a knife which has blood in the hinge. The filmmakers turn the knife over to police, who examine it; the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
is similar to that of himself and the boy but the evidence is nonetheless inconclusive since the DNA evidence produced was fragmented and can not provide concrete links.
Production
The film was made in 79 days over a 10-month period filming in the actual Arkansas locations. The movie marks the first time MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
allowed their music to be used in a movie. A decade later the directors made Some Kind of Monster
Some Kind of Monster (film)
Some Kind of Monster is a 2004 documentary film featuring the American heavy metal band Metallica. It shares its name with the song "Some Kind of Monster" from Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger....
about Metallica.
Reception
The movie was well received by critics, including Siskel and Ebert praising the movie. The film was followed by a sequel, Paradise Lost 2: RevelationsParadise Lost 2: Revelations
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations is the 2000 sequel to the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, about the trial and conviction of three teenagers known as the West Memphis 3 accused of murdering three young boys in a Satanic ritual abuse.-Description:In Paradise Lost...
(2000), which suggests that further evidence was missed or suppressed and attempts to prove Echols' innocence.