i grew up, and now live in, the ozarks, so the 'ward boys' were very familiar to me. these are people who who have bottomless knowledge--of certain things. living off the land, independence of outside influence...in that sense they have it all. in this case, when the inevitable happens--death--all hell breaks loose and they are thrust into the 'real world'. it's heartbreaking to watch these poor men cope with a system that is so foreign to them; particularly when lyman falls apart during questioning--i found myself yelling at my television, "he's dying!" while the prosecutor and the judge were watching him fall to pieces on the stand with the curiosity one displays at an animal exhibit. the pig slaughter scene is distracting--i did have to look away until it was over--but i do think it's instrumental to the story. it shows these boys had a firm grasp on differentiating the value of human life vs. animal.
Review of Brother's Keeper
