The Farm: Angola, USA
This documentary about the largest (and arguably, deadliest) prison in America, Angola, has amazing access to the six convicts it follows, but never really generates enough emotion to merit classic status. The prisoners have it rough -- I can't imagine having to learn the law so I could defind myself in parole hearings and the like -- but unfortunately the movie is not really artistic enough to bring out the qualities in these prisoners well enough so that we care about them. Ultimately it's an interesting look at the penal system, but not really a compelling enough story about its "victims."
Rating
3.0 out of 5 Stars
- Director: Liz Garbus, Wilbert Rideau, Jonathan Stack
- Producer: Liz Garbus, Gayle Gilman, Jonathan Stack
- Screenwriter: Bob Harris
- Stars: Bernard Addison, Burl Cain, George Crawford, Wilbert Rideau, Vincent Simmons, Eugene 'Bishop' Tannehill, Logan 'Bones' Theriot, Ashanti Witherspoon
- MPAA Rating: NR
- Year of Release: 1998
- Released on Video: 03/30/1999
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