"Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)" is a documentary about the life of the notorious Florida serial killer, Aileen Wornous, who inspired the much lauded film "Monster". Not to be confused with "Aileen Wornous: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)", also by Nick Broomfield, this film provides background on Wornous who was selling sex for cigarettes as a 9 year old child in Michigan and follows her life from criminal trials to death row up to her execution (which was not shown). The film paints a portrait of a troubled woman who descends into paranoid schizophrenia as the end nears all the while maintaining the unexpectedly undaunted, matter-of-fact demeanor of one very much reconciled to her fate in spite of being trapped in a system with no recompense for abuse in childhood nor insanity in adulthood who well may have been failed by the criminal justice system as well. A worthwhile watch for those interested in the Wornous story, especially as a follow-up to "Monster". (B)
45 Reviews
Thought provoking documentary about the first known female serial killer
shannen-l-c12 February 2019
Hitch-hiker and prostitute, Aileen Wuronos, was convincted for committing the murders of seven men between 1989-1990, and executed for her crimes in 2002. The documentary 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial' killer is the second of Broomfield's documentaries about Aileen (the first was released in 1992) and explores her story including her childhood, her experiences as an adult living on the streets and selling her body, and attempts to piece together her truth about her crimes.
As other reviewers have pointed out, Broomfield doesn't attempt to hide his biases throughout the documentary, so if you're looking for an unbiased telling of Aileen's crimes, you won't find that here. Broomfield is clearly sympathetic towards Aileen and the two seem to strike up a friendship of sorts from their many interactions, which perhaps inhibits his ability to be objective. However, it doesn't diminish the impact of the documentary and in journalism there's no such thing as true objectivity anyway. I personally respect Broomfield for making his own opinions clear without forcing them upon the viewers.
It's no surprise that as an English man Broomfield is opposed to the death penalty (being English myself, I don't know anybody here that's NOT opposed to it), and that clearly plays a part in his sympathies towards Aileen. He doesn't even have to make a convincing argument against the legal justice system (particularly surrounding the death penalty), because as a viewer I can clearly see how corrupt and inadequate it was in this case. Aileen DID NOT receive fair representation and although her mental state amplified her delusions in her final days, she wasn't completely wrong in her accusations against law enforcement who were making money off her story. There have been endless movies, books and documentaries produced about Aileen's crimes and even those that were closest to her (her girlfriend, family and friends) were more concerned with profiting off her case than her well-being.
Although Broomfield doesn't delve too deeply into the issues facing the American legal system and the death penalty, those questions are clearly echoing throughout. Broomfield asks if it's moral or just to send a mentally ill person to death, and it's a fair question. As the documentary progresses, Aileen's mental state deteriorates and in her final interview with Broomfield she's clearly suffering from mental illness which she claims she did not receive adequate medical treatment for. Essentially, Broomfield forces the viewers to ask themselves whether what happens to Aileen is fair. She has been found guilty of her crimes and has confessed to those crimes, but she is still a human being who has fundamental human rights and whom the American legal justice system has basic responsibilities for - e.g. providing fair representation and medical care - two things we know Aileen did not receive. It's impossible to ignore these injustices in the 'justice' system and to question how much the system aligns up to what it claims to be.
In addition to posing questions about the American legal system, the documentary also provides insight into the criminal mind, and shows that serial killers are not always what we expect them to be. They're not always psychopathic, intelligent, sadistic monsters who get a thrill from hurting and killing others, such as Ted Bundy. In Aileen's case an argument can adequately made for the nurture side of the nature vs. nurture debate. Her horrific experiences from a young age (being abandoned by her birth mother, being sexually abused, being impregnated by a local paedophile at 14 and being forced to give the child up, being made homeless at age 14 and living in the woods at the end of her street and her endless experiences of violent/sexual abuse from being a prostitute) deeply impacted her and twisted her mindset. She felt she had suffered at the hands of the world and that her suffering entitled her to inflict that suffering upon others and take what she felt she deserved and had always been robbed of - money and security.
Although Broomfield spends time interviewing the friends and family of Aileen to uncover more about her childhood, the interviews he conducts with Aileen herself are by far the highlight of the documentary. It's in those moments that Broomfield is face-to-face with Aileen that we truly get to see how unstable she is - jumping from a seemingly ordinary, reasonable and polite person to erratic, angry, paranoid and rude. The possiblity that Aileen suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder is referenced once, but generally, her mental state is completely neglected which is shocking to me since throughout filming she was clearly suffering from severe mental illness.
Regardless of Aileen's mental state, what happened to her throughout her life or what led her to commit her crimes, the fact remains that she took the lives of seven men and that is a point that Broomfield continues to emphasise throughout. He continually prods Aileen as to whether she acted in self-defence or committed cold-blooded murder and each time Aileen's response is different. In fact, her story changes so often that it's impossible to know the truth and by the end of the documentary it's safe to label Aileen a pathological liar.
Overall, 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' is an intriguing insight into Aileen Wuronos' life and crimes. It gives Aileen herself a voice, allowing her to tell her 'truth' and counteract the claims or words of others - the media and those closest to her - that have crafted their own tales about her. Ultimately, it's a tragic story of a murderer, who although many would agree deserved to die, did not receive a fair trial and was transformed into a money-making machine for many of the law enforcement officers connected to her case and even her own loved ones.
As other reviewers have pointed out, Broomfield doesn't attempt to hide his biases throughout the documentary, so if you're looking for an unbiased telling of Aileen's crimes, you won't find that here. Broomfield is clearly sympathetic towards Aileen and the two seem to strike up a friendship of sorts from their many interactions, which perhaps inhibits his ability to be objective. However, it doesn't diminish the impact of the documentary and in journalism there's no such thing as true objectivity anyway. I personally respect Broomfield for making his own opinions clear without forcing them upon the viewers.
It's no surprise that as an English man Broomfield is opposed to the death penalty (being English myself, I don't know anybody here that's NOT opposed to it), and that clearly plays a part in his sympathies towards Aileen. He doesn't even have to make a convincing argument against the legal justice system (particularly surrounding the death penalty), because as a viewer I can clearly see how corrupt and inadequate it was in this case. Aileen DID NOT receive fair representation and although her mental state amplified her delusions in her final days, she wasn't completely wrong in her accusations against law enforcement who were making money off her story. There have been endless movies, books and documentaries produced about Aileen's crimes and even those that were closest to her (her girlfriend, family and friends) were more concerned with profiting off her case than her well-being.
Although Broomfield doesn't delve too deeply into the issues facing the American legal system and the death penalty, those questions are clearly echoing throughout. Broomfield asks if it's moral or just to send a mentally ill person to death, and it's a fair question. As the documentary progresses, Aileen's mental state deteriorates and in her final interview with Broomfield she's clearly suffering from mental illness which she claims she did not receive adequate medical treatment for. Essentially, Broomfield forces the viewers to ask themselves whether what happens to Aileen is fair. She has been found guilty of her crimes and has confessed to those crimes, but she is still a human being who has fundamental human rights and whom the American legal justice system has basic responsibilities for - e.g. providing fair representation and medical care - two things we know Aileen did not receive. It's impossible to ignore these injustices in the 'justice' system and to question how much the system aligns up to what it claims to be.
In addition to posing questions about the American legal system, the documentary also provides insight into the criminal mind, and shows that serial killers are not always what we expect them to be. They're not always psychopathic, intelligent, sadistic monsters who get a thrill from hurting and killing others, such as Ted Bundy. In Aileen's case an argument can adequately made for the nurture side of the nature vs. nurture debate. Her horrific experiences from a young age (being abandoned by her birth mother, being sexually abused, being impregnated by a local paedophile at 14 and being forced to give the child up, being made homeless at age 14 and living in the woods at the end of her street and her endless experiences of violent/sexual abuse from being a prostitute) deeply impacted her and twisted her mindset. She felt she had suffered at the hands of the world and that her suffering entitled her to inflict that suffering upon others and take what she felt she deserved and had always been robbed of - money and security.
Although Broomfield spends time interviewing the friends and family of Aileen to uncover more about her childhood, the interviews he conducts with Aileen herself are by far the highlight of the documentary. It's in those moments that Broomfield is face-to-face with Aileen that we truly get to see how unstable she is - jumping from a seemingly ordinary, reasonable and polite person to erratic, angry, paranoid and rude. The possiblity that Aileen suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder is referenced once, but generally, her mental state is completely neglected which is shocking to me since throughout filming she was clearly suffering from severe mental illness.
Regardless of Aileen's mental state, what happened to her throughout her life or what led her to commit her crimes, the fact remains that she took the lives of seven men and that is a point that Broomfield continues to emphasise throughout. He continually prods Aileen as to whether she acted in self-defence or committed cold-blooded murder and each time Aileen's response is different. In fact, her story changes so often that it's impossible to know the truth and by the end of the documentary it's safe to label Aileen a pathological liar.
Overall, 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' is an intriguing insight into Aileen Wuronos' life and crimes. It gives Aileen herself a voice, allowing her to tell her 'truth' and counteract the claims or words of others - the media and those closest to her - that have crafted their own tales about her. Ultimately, it's a tragic story of a murderer, who although many would agree deserved to die, did not receive a fair trial and was transformed into a money-making machine for many of the law enforcement officers connected to her case and even her own loved ones.
Michael Moore Would Learn Something From This Documentary
Theo Robertson23 February 2005
This is a documentary dealing with the appeal of Aileen Wuornos murder convictions . Don't worry I have no idea who she was either and it's only when I'm told that Charlize Theron played her in MONSTER that I discovered who she was . Try asking someone who Aileen Wuornos was and they'll give a similar blank response , and it's only with the words " Charlize Theron - Monster " that their memory will be jogged . Somewhat sad that an acting performance is better known than a series of real life crimes
Nick Broomfield's documentary is black comedy of the highest order , he's worth a myriad of Michael Moores' and lets the facts speak for themselves . Wuornos employed " Dr Legal " at her original trial , a man , or rather spaced out hippy , with no legal experience and no office who attended court after smoking as many as seven joints . I can respect Dr Legal as a toker but how on Earth was someone like that able to defend someone on multiple murder charges ? We're later shown someone claiming being gay is a very modern invention :
" Where were the gays years ago ? "
" In the closet ? "
" No there weren't any gays years ago , they didn't exist back then . Were there any gays when you were at school ? "
" I went to a British public school . We invented it along with the Greeks "
Broomfield is very much anti death penalty and he's also very much against the cheque book circus that surrounded the case , but perhaps the beauty of this documentary is that despite being biased Broomfield doesn't feel the need to twist facts into lies or treat the audience as retarded schoolchildren , if you agree with the death penalty this documentary won't change your mind but does raise serious questions about the American legal system
Nick Broomfield's documentary is black comedy of the highest order , he's worth a myriad of Michael Moores' and lets the facts speak for themselves . Wuornos employed " Dr Legal " at her original trial , a man , or rather spaced out hippy , with no legal experience and no office who attended court after smoking as many as seven joints . I can respect Dr Legal as a toker but how on Earth was someone like that able to defend someone on multiple murder charges ? We're later shown someone claiming being gay is a very modern invention :
" Where were the gays years ago ? "
" In the closet ? "
" No there weren't any gays years ago , they didn't exist back then . Were there any gays when you were at school ? "
" I went to a British public school . We invented it along with the Greeks "
Broomfield is very much anti death penalty and he's also very much against the cheque book circus that surrounded the case , but perhaps the beauty of this documentary is that despite being biased Broomfield doesn't feel the need to twist facts into lies or treat the audience as retarded schoolchildren , if you agree with the death penalty this documentary won't change your mind but does raise serious questions about the American legal system
chilling documentary
Buddy-5131 July 2004
The documentary `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' provides an interesting companion piece to `Monster,' the film that earned Charlize Theron the Academy Award for Best Actress of 2003. This is actually the second documentary British filmmaker Nick Broomfield has made about Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who was executed in Florida in 2002 for the murders of seven of her johns during the late 1980's. His first film on the subject was made in 1992 during Aileen's initial trial. Now, ten years later, he is back recording Aileen's final days, trying to get her to reveal the unvarnished truth about what really happened all those years ago.
Broomfield does not pretend to be totally fair and unbiased in his presentation of the case. He is clearly sympathetic to Aileen and is not shy about voicing his own opposition to the death penalty. Nevertheless, the film he has made offers a meaningful glimpse into the mind of a killer, as well as the role that the legal system and the media play in sensational murder cases. Broomfield spends much of his time visiting Aileen's childhood home, interviewing people close to her, chronicling the events of the trial, and documenting Aileen's time in prison. But the most compelling scenes are those in which he interviews Aileen herself, prodding her to open up and reveal whether she committed the murders out of self-defense as she claims or whether she killed her victims to steal their money as the prosecution successfully argued. The main bone of contention between filmmaker and subject centers around the first killing. Through footage taken at her trial, Broomfield shows how, on the witness stand, Aileen wove a compelling and convincing tale of how that first murder came about. According to Aileen, her first victim was attacking and raping her, causing her to reach into her purse, grab her pistol and shoot him dead. Indeed, this is the way in which `Monster' portrays the scene as occurring. Yet, in 2002, Broomfield captures a much different account, as Aileen confesses point blank to the camera that the story was a bald-faced lie she came up with to engender sympathy for herself with the jury (it clearly didn't work). Later in the film, however, Aileen reverses the story again and implies that the first killing was indeed an act of self-defense.
`Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' is a depressing and disturbing film on a number of levels. First, it places us face-to-face with the incomprehensible mindset of a cold-blooded murderer. Aileen comes across at times as warm and rational, honest about her guilt and repentant for the pain she's caused. At other times, she explodes in anger at friend and foe alike, cusses a blue streak, calls vile curses down on those she feels have wronged her, and blames everyone but herself for the fate that has befallen her. Second, the film makes us question whether one can ever really know if a person is telling the truth, even under oath. Third, it makes us wonder just how many people there are out there whose messed-up lives and upbringings can lead to this type of dangerous antisocial behavior. Fourth, Aileen's clear and intense paranoia even up to the day of her execution she was convinced that the police knew all about her killings long before they brought her in and let her go on killing so that they could get rich off her story - clearly raises questions as to just how `sane' she really was when the state of Florida sent her to her death. Though, by the end, Broomfield is generally convinced that Aileen was a pathological liar and most likely guilty of first degree murder, he does not let all the other parties in the case off the hook that easily. He is quick to point out the shoddy defense she received in her original trial, as well as the way in which many of her closest friends and even some Florida law enforcement officials made money off her by selling her story to various media outlets. This film offers a stinging indictment of all the parties involved in this case.
One could wish for a little less personal involvement on the part of the filmmaker. Too often we feel that he has sacrificed his objectivity, that he isn't providing us with all the angles on the story we need to render a fair and reasonable judgment. For instance, he spends virtually no time interviewing the loved ones of the men Aileen slaughtered. Still, if you've seen `Monster,' `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' will provide further insight into that film's dark subject. It will also show you just how extraordinary a job Theron did in capturing the real woman at the story's core.
Broomfield does not pretend to be totally fair and unbiased in his presentation of the case. He is clearly sympathetic to Aileen and is not shy about voicing his own opposition to the death penalty. Nevertheless, the film he has made offers a meaningful glimpse into the mind of a killer, as well as the role that the legal system and the media play in sensational murder cases. Broomfield spends much of his time visiting Aileen's childhood home, interviewing people close to her, chronicling the events of the trial, and documenting Aileen's time in prison. But the most compelling scenes are those in which he interviews Aileen herself, prodding her to open up and reveal whether she committed the murders out of self-defense as she claims or whether she killed her victims to steal their money as the prosecution successfully argued. The main bone of contention between filmmaker and subject centers around the first killing. Through footage taken at her trial, Broomfield shows how, on the witness stand, Aileen wove a compelling and convincing tale of how that first murder came about. According to Aileen, her first victim was attacking and raping her, causing her to reach into her purse, grab her pistol and shoot him dead. Indeed, this is the way in which `Monster' portrays the scene as occurring. Yet, in 2002, Broomfield captures a much different account, as Aileen confesses point blank to the camera that the story was a bald-faced lie she came up with to engender sympathy for herself with the jury (it clearly didn't work). Later in the film, however, Aileen reverses the story again and implies that the first killing was indeed an act of self-defense.
`Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' is a depressing and disturbing film on a number of levels. First, it places us face-to-face with the incomprehensible mindset of a cold-blooded murderer. Aileen comes across at times as warm and rational, honest about her guilt and repentant for the pain she's caused. At other times, she explodes in anger at friend and foe alike, cusses a blue streak, calls vile curses down on those she feels have wronged her, and blames everyone but herself for the fate that has befallen her. Second, the film makes us question whether one can ever really know if a person is telling the truth, even under oath. Third, it makes us wonder just how many people there are out there whose messed-up lives and upbringings can lead to this type of dangerous antisocial behavior. Fourth, Aileen's clear and intense paranoia even up to the day of her execution she was convinced that the police knew all about her killings long before they brought her in and let her go on killing so that they could get rich off her story - clearly raises questions as to just how `sane' she really was when the state of Florida sent her to her death. Though, by the end, Broomfield is generally convinced that Aileen was a pathological liar and most likely guilty of first degree murder, he does not let all the other parties in the case off the hook that easily. He is quick to point out the shoddy defense she received in her original trial, as well as the way in which many of her closest friends and even some Florida law enforcement officials made money off her by selling her story to various media outlets. This film offers a stinging indictment of all the parties involved in this case.
One could wish for a little less personal involvement on the part of the filmmaker. Too often we feel that he has sacrificed his objectivity, that he isn't providing us with all the angles on the story we need to render a fair and reasonable judgment. For instance, he spends virtually no time interviewing the loved ones of the men Aileen slaughtered. Still, if you've seen `Monster,' `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' will provide further insight into that film's dark subject. It will also show you just how extraordinary a job Theron did in capturing the real woman at the story's core.
Sad documentary
maccas-5636725 January 2019
A sad documentary, but then again, you don't expect sunshine and rainbows when watching a film about a serial killer.
It's a film about system failure. How a system hopelessly failed a child, an adolescent and then an adult and the devastating consequences of these failings.
Can't help but think Aileen's life may have turned out slightly differently had better systems and support being in place from early life.
Rest in peace to her seven victims and Aileen herself.
More questions than answers!
anz1021 April 2014
Personally I feel like this documentary ultimately raised more than questions than it gave answers. She said felt bad for the victim's family but never clarified whether it was definitely self deafens or not. I understand that she may have just wanted to die because she could not longer take death row or she didn't want to clarify her full story because she didn't want to give people more tidbits for a film, but surely the families deserve a straight answer. I'm not sure whether Aileen was a master manipulator with a sociopath tendency to lie and keep us guessing in order to play mind games so she isn't seen as the bad guy (which keeps her fascinating) or whether she truly just wanted to die or didn't want to give the police more info for a film, hmm. When she says "I'll kill again" does she mean it?! it is not that far fetched considering she killed not 1,2 or 3 but 7 men.. and if it was self deafens, how come not one of those men overpowered her to the point of taking her gun? or something like that.. more questions?? Then again why confess to the camera it was a robbery scenario and then say to the interviewer that you just said that for the cameras?! (when she didn't know the camera is still rolling) or did she just not want to lose her new friend's sympathy?? or?..
Another thing I noted was her ability to have a crazy scary mad look in her eye when she got mad, it sent chills, maybe this is what the victims saw, a crazy sociopath look before she killed them.. or was she just that mad at the justice system and everyone around her, in any case she had/developed some serious anger issues which were scary.
Yes, don't get me wrong I feel very sorry her early life and the fact that she never really stood a chance at a normal life, but again a question, did she really have NO other choice than go out and prostitute again if she was THAT scared of getting attacked/raped again.. Wouldn't you be so scared/guilty about what happened with the other 6 men that you would not go the 7th time? If it was self defence could she not just shoot them in the foot? It is not entirely the police's fault that she was not caught at the 1st man, for her crime spree, in the last interview she did not fully admit her own part in it, which I found disturbing, although I do understand and can tell that she was also (faking or not) had mental problems but not to the extent that she couldn't see her own guilt in my opinion. I don't think anyone will fully understand Aileen, was she born somewhat evil and people saw it in her and treated her badly (though even that is no excuse for what she went through!!!), did evil make her this way or was it a 50/50 split? I honestly believe her background definitely influences her and it definitely reflects badly on us as a society and teaches us lessons, but not to the extent that it totally takes away free will, no, that is wrong, many people have gone through awful childhoods (maybe not many as bad as hers) but they did not kill 7 men, then again not many children end up adult hitch hiking prostitutes but still. Although this is the 1st thing I have seen on Aileen (so I may change my mind) I struggle to find as much sympathy for her as others have given her... There are too many questions raised for me to feel really sympathetic towards her, although there is definitely some sympathy for her past and that she ended up with no future. I understand her past was dreadful and the inclination to be a killer, but did she absolutely have to take that path? no less than 7 times?? especially if she was capable of such insight at times during her interviews.. Another question that came up for me are we been taken for a ride by a sociopath/narcissistic mind ?? after all serial killers are noted for that kind of thing, feeling faking, playing games, sparing their own egos by not blaming themselves too much etc .. hmm.. so many questions... Personally though, I don't believe in the death penalty, my main reason being is that it makes us almost as bad as the person who killed.. How can the person who injects the poison live with themselves? I know I couldn't, nothing could convince me 100% that I have the right to choose who lives or dies, especially since the police is not always right.
Another thing I noted was her ability to have a crazy scary mad look in her eye when she got mad, it sent chills, maybe this is what the victims saw, a crazy sociopath look before she killed them.. or was she just that mad at the justice system and everyone around her, in any case she had/developed some serious anger issues which were scary.
Yes, don't get me wrong I feel very sorry her early life and the fact that she never really stood a chance at a normal life, but again a question, did she really have NO other choice than go out and prostitute again if she was THAT scared of getting attacked/raped again.. Wouldn't you be so scared/guilty about what happened with the other 6 men that you would not go the 7th time? If it was self defence could she not just shoot them in the foot? It is not entirely the police's fault that she was not caught at the 1st man, for her crime spree, in the last interview she did not fully admit her own part in it, which I found disturbing, although I do understand and can tell that she was also (faking or not) had mental problems but not to the extent that she couldn't see her own guilt in my opinion. I don't think anyone will fully understand Aileen, was she born somewhat evil and people saw it in her and treated her badly (though even that is no excuse for what she went through!!!), did evil make her this way or was it a 50/50 split? I honestly believe her background definitely influences her and it definitely reflects badly on us as a society and teaches us lessons, but not to the extent that it totally takes away free will, no, that is wrong, many people have gone through awful childhoods (maybe not many as bad as hers) but they did not kill 7 men, then again not many children end up adult hitch hiking prostitutes but still. Although this is the 1st thing I have seen on Aileen (so I may change my mind) I struggle to find as much sympathy for her as others have given her... There are too many questions raised for me to feel really sympathetic towards her, although there is definitely some sympathy for her past and that she ended up with no future. I understand her past was dreadful and the inclination to be a killer, but did she absolutely have to take that path? no less than 7 times?? especially if she was capable of such insight at times during her interviews.. Another question that came up for me are we been taken for a ride by a sociopath/narcissistic mind ?? after all serial killers are noted for that kind of thing, feeling faking, playing games, sparing their own egos by not blaming themselves too much etc .. hmm.. so many questions... Personally though, I don't believe in the death penalty, my main reason being is that it makes us almost as bad as the person who killed.. How can the person who injects the poison live with themselves? I know I couldn't, nothing could convince me 100% that I have the right to choose who lives or dies, especially since the police is not always right.
As real as it gets. Serial killer on trial.
michaelRokeefe30 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The honest truth can get very ugly. British filmmaker(Nick Broomfield) directs this documentary that deals with appeals court appearances of infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who went on a murder spree in 1992. Growing up in Michigan Aileen was selling sex for cigarettes at the age of 9. Dealing with abuse most of her life, Wournos had very little respect for men...but knew she needed to use them for her survival. In the state of Florida Aileen became a highway prostitute as a teen and was convicted of killing six semi-truck drivers claiming she was defending herself from rape. This film shows a very troubled woman that runs in and out of paranoid schizophrenia. Actual footage from court appearances plus personal interviews with the killer; as well as family members of the "johns" she murdered makes for an undaunted, matter-of-fact, in your face documentary. Wournos makes no bones about what she did; but she is adamant about the criminal justice system failing her. Her story was loosely told in the acclaimed 2003 movie MONSTER starring Charlize Theron in the lead role.
So important....
MarieGabrielle9 March 2008
to see films like this. When the media dehumanizes a person for profit, and thanks to Nick Broomfield, we see the other side. A 13 year old girl raped and impregnated by her grandfather, who slept in the freezing Michigan forest when her family kicked her out of their house.
Shame on Diane, Aileen's mother, who sits and states that Aileen loved living as a homeless person. The denial in this abusive family is rampant. I was actually angry and upset by this film.
Actions have consequences. Abuse starts at home, and this entire situation escalated to the point it did because an abused woman finally lost her grip on life, she had no help, no means of support, and the state of Florida was only too pleased to step in and garner media attention during an election year.
Capital punishment does not provide a deterrent (this is a scientific fact) but it does prove man's inhumanity. Thank you Mr. Broomfield for this upsetting documentary. 10/10.
Shame on Diane, Aileen's mother, who sits and states that Aileen loved living as a homeless person. The denial in this abusive family is rampant. I was actually angry and upset by this film.
Actions have consequences. Abuse starts at home, and this entire situation escalated to the point it did because an abused woman finally lost her grip on life, she had no help, no means of support, and the state of Florida was only too pleased to step in and garner media attention during an election year.
Capital punishment does not provide a deterrent (this is a scientific fact) but it does prove man's inhumanity. Thank you Mr. Broomfield for this upsetting documentary. 10/10.
Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer
a_baron7 February 2015
This is the second documentary about Aileen Wuornos that Nick Broomfield has made. She is still alluded to as America's first female serial killer- she was neither the first nor the most prolific - but for good reason she holds a special place in the halls of infamy.
One is entitled to ask what is his fascination with a woman who had no redeeming qualities at all, but that is a fascination shared by many people. Had Wuornos been a man - and of course there are plenty of male serial killers who have racked up greater death counts - there would have been none of this, although there would rightly have been plenty of revulsion.
This film includes interviews with many people, including of course with the damsel of death herself, right up to the eve of her execution. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
One is entitled to ask what is his fascination with a woman who had no redeeming qualities at all, but that is a fascination shared by many people. Had Wuornos been a man - and of course there are plenty of male serial killers who have racked up greater death counts - there would have been none of this, although there would rightly have been plenty of revulsion.
This film includes interviews with many people, including of course with the damsel of death herself, right up to the eve of her execution. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
excellent film making.
red-snapper14 May 2004
I really enjoyed this docu - was thought provoking and gut wrenchingly sad. I haven't seen Monster but I did watch Nick's original, so go out and watch that first, then sit back and be shocked, horrified, touched etc.. at this final chapter in the life of someone who did not deserve the life she had.
I hope Jeb Bush watches this, I don't know how he can sleep at night - the karma police are going to catch you up.
What a tragic tale.
I hope Jeb Bush watches this, I don't know how he can sleep at night - the karma police are going to catch you up.
What a tragic tale.
Good Job it is...
lilyloo-798079 February 2019
An American Tragedy. SPOILERS!
Skeptic45928 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Nick Broomfield's documentary is a tragedy. It is an indication of how a person's life can destroy them psychologically and make them into a 'monster.'
The documentary leaves you with many questions. Was Wuornos the child of incest? Why did everyone look the other way when Wuornos was kicked out of home? She was forced to live in the woods and had to sleep in the snow when winter came! How is it possible that a community could let a 13 year old girl live in the woods and the snow? The evidence of this is readily apparent when her friend Dawn shows Broomfield around the small Florida settlement of where she grew up. Wuornos also shows her hands to Broomfield and they have the distinct markings of someone who has certainly slept in the rough.
Growing up in her small Florida community, what the documentary finds is that Wuornos was sexually exploited by all of the males around her. Even her brother was having sex with her! She was not protected. It also states that she had the 'reputation' of the town tramp and as a result was ostracised and hated by the small community, especially by other girls. Eventually she got pregnant and after the baby was given up for adoption she was kicked out by her grandfather.
What is most interesting is that another individual ended up living in the woods with her for a while. The person was a homosexual man who liked to cross dress. This is interesting because of what it implies. It implies that the community values a high degree of conformity. The different or the ones who do not behave are rejected from the town. The degree of cruelty inherent in this kind of community social ostracism is astounding!
The film does show that Wuornos is indeed a monster. At least twice in this film she rants and raves. One minute she is nice and calm. The next...the explosion comes! The Aileen that pulled the trigger becomes plainly visible. The angers pours out of her like lava from a volcano. It spews forth! The anger is so extreme it is obviously psychotic. Yet Aileens emotions are fleeting and often exaggerated. Illustrating the borderline personality disorder that she had been diagnosed with.
The most disturbing part of the film is when Aileen is going after the death penalty as a GOAL. She even goes as far as trying to sabotage her own defence. After TWELVE years on death row she has lost her mind from the constant stress. THREE psychiatrists find her competent enough to vouch for her sanity.
This becomes an absolute joke in her last interview with Broomfield. Aileen rants and raves about cops who she thinks let her kill these men so they could make her a serial killer. That way they would be able to sell her story. She claims that the government is controlling her mind through radio waves. Aileen also states that the guards are trying to poison her and she must wash her food. She claims that the whole time she was murdering her victims, that she was also being followed by unmarked helicopters. Police supposedly dropped from these choppers to follow her. So basically Aileen had completely lost her mind and was delusional!
Anyone with a vague notion of mental illness knows that stress is a major factor in causing schizophrenia or any mental disorder. The documentary shows that Aileen had a bad birth and this possibly caused some physical brain damage. Add childhood trauma and then place more intense stress on the individual. I believe that the incredible stress of death row was enough to throw Aileen into paranoid schizophrenia.
Because of the cloudy circumstances of the case. Aileen could have spent the rest of her life on death row. She wanted release by death. Who could blame her? It becomes quite clear that some of the killings were self defence and others were just to obtain money. This was to keep her lover Tyra. Remember border-lines are terrified of being alone and will do anything to keep their lovers. Wuornos being an extreme case was willing to kill.
Aileen was a very sick woman. A woman who should have been institutionalized not executed. Shame on Jeb Bush and his cronies! The tragedy of Aileen Wuornos is also the tragedy of western society. How long must child abuse and neglect go on before people start to realize that all of societies worst monsters arise from the aforementioned factors? Where were the social services that could have helped Aileen? That might have led her to a better life. I am a true crime fan and a grad student in psychology. I have read about many killers. It always comes back to the same factors with a depressing regularity, mental retardation, childhood trauma and paranoid thinking.
The system failed Aileen. The defining moment of this film is when after a fit of ranting, Aileen gives the camera the finger. Broomfield tells her he is sorry. We the audience also cannot help but feel pity. We know that that if this woman had not suffered such brutal mistreatment and betrayal. If someone had actually given a damn about her, things might have been different. This documentary shows that United States has a long way to go before it is a humane civilised society.
Indeed, as Dostoevsky points out, the degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.
The documentary leaves you with many questions. Was Wuornos the child of incest? Why did everyone look the other way when Wuornos was kicked out of home? She was forced to live in the woods and had to sleep in the snow when winter came! How is it possible that a community could let a 13 year old girl live in the woods and the snow? The evidence of this is readily apparent when her friend Dawn shows Broomfield around the small Florida settlement of where she grew up. Wuornos also shows her hands to Broomfield and they have the distinct markings of someone who has certainly slept in the rough.
Growing up in her small Florida community, what the documentary finds is that Wuornos was sexually exploited by all of the males around her. Even her brother was having sex with her! She was not protected. It also states that she had the 'reputation' of the town tramp and as a result was ostracised and hated by the small community, especially by other girls. Eventually she got pregnant and after the baby was given up for adoption she was kicked out by her grandfather.
What is most interesting is that another individual ended up living in the woods with her for a while. The person was a homosexual man who liked to cross dress. This is interesting because of what it implies. It implies that the community values a high degree of conformity. The different or the ones who do not behave are rejected from the town. The degree of cruelty inherent in this kind of community social ostracism is astounding!
The film does show that Wuornos is indeed a monster. At least twice in this film she rants and raves. One minute she is nice and calm. The next...the explosion comes! The Aileen that pulled the trigger becomes plainly visible. The angers pours out of her like lava from a volcano. It spews forth! The anger is so extreme it is obviously psychotic. Yet Aileens emotions are fleeting and often exaggerated. Illustrating the borderline personality disorder that she had been diagnosed with.
The most disturbing part of the film is when Aileen is going after the death penalty as a GOAL. She even goes as far as trying to sabotage her own defence. After TWELVE years on death row she has lost her mind from the constant stress. THREE psychiatrists find her competent enough to vouch for her sanity.
This becomes an absolute joke in her last interview with Broomfield. Aileen rants and raves about cops who she thinks let her kill these men so they could make her a serial killer. That way they would be able to sell her story. She claims that the government is controlling her mind through radio waves. Aileen also states that the guards are trying to poison her and she must wash her food. She claims that the whole time she was murdering her victims, that she was also being followed by unmarked helicopters. Police supposedly dropped from these choppers to follow her. So basically Aileen had completely lost her mind and was delusional!
Anyone with a vague notion of mental illness knows that stress is a major factor in causing schizophrenia or any mental disorder. The documentary shows that Aileen had a bad birth and this possibly caused some physical brain damage. Add childhood trauma and then place more intense stress on the individual. I believe that the incredible stress of death row was enough to throw Aileen into paranoid schizophrenia.
Because of the cloudy circumstances of the case. Aileen could have spent the rest of her life on death row. She wanted release by death. Who could blame her? It becomes quite clear that some of the killings were self defence and others were just to obtain money. This was to keep her lover Tyra. Remember border-lines are terrified of being alone and will do anything to keep their lovers. Wuornos being an extreme case was willing to kill.
Aileen was a very sick woman. A woman who should have been institutionalized not executed. Shame on Jeb Bush and his cronies! The tragedy of Aileen Wuornos is also the tragedy of western society. How long must child abuse and neglect go on before people start to realize that all of societies worst monsters arise from the aforementioned factors? Where were the social services that could have helped Aileen? That might have led her to a better life. I am a true crime fan and a grad student in psychology. I have read about many killers. It always comes back to the same factors with a depressing regularity, mental retardation, childhood trauma and paranoid thinking.
The system failed Aileen. The defining moment of this film is when after a fit of ranting, Aileen gives the camera the finger. Broomfield tells her he is sorry. We the audience also cannot help but feel pity. We know that that if this woman had not suffered such brutal mistreatment and betrayal. If someone had actually given a damn about her, things might have been different. This documentary shows that United States has a long way to go before it is a humane civilised society.
Indeed, as Dostoevsky points out, the degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.
Ghoulish
paul2001sw-126 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Aileen Wuornos grew up in a financially, and emotionally, deprived family. She later killed seven men in cold blood (she may have been defending herself from attack in some cases, but that remains unclear). She showed little remorse thereafter. She was intelligent, articulate, and although towards the end of her spell on death row appeared wildly deluded, was arguably not insane: her view of the world may have been wrong, but it did make sense. The story of her final year, told in this film by Nick Broomfield (who had made another film earlier during her journey through the U.S. legal system), makes highly disturbing viewing. Wuornos does not come across as a "monster" (the name of a subsequent fictionalised account of her case) but as very human; and yet she seems incapable of comprehending the significance of death, even her own at the hands of the state. The system treated her badly, and I personally oppose the death penalty in all cases; and yet it's hard to imagine how anyone in her position could generate less sympathy than Wuornos does. In some respects, 'Aileen' is a ghoulish film, peeping through the window of a house of pure horror.
Broomfield's earlier film centred on the grotesque way almost everyone involved in the case tried to sell their story to the media. But Broomfield himself is part of that media, and notwithstanding the fact that he gained Wuornos' trust, this film seems almost out of it's depth. Broomfield's style, first practised on South African white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche, is based on turning up, turning on the camera and letting people damn themselves. In his film of Terreblanche, the tactic worked, brilliantly deflating alarmist rumours of an Afrikaaner coup in it's portrait of it's pathetic subject. But in 'Aileen', it's unclear who Broomfield is trying to damn, or whether anyone is well served by the putting of the story on camera. In one of the most chilling moments, we see the awful television coverage of Wuornos' execution (sample sound-bite: "Date with Death"), but at one remove, through Broomfield's own lens. Does this make the film an expose, or merely an exploitation of (and contributor to) our collective and irrational fear of that tiny proportion of humanity who kill for apparently no reason? It might do us more value to look at the (socially licensed) serial killers on both sides of the war in Iraq. Instead we play "watch the monster". At least 'Aileen' makes you think. But don't expect to understand.
Broomfield's earlier film centred on the grotesque way almost everyone involved in the case tried to sell their story to the media. But Broomfield himself is part of that media, and notwithstanding the fact that he gained Wuornos' trust, this film seems almost out of it's depth. Broomfield's style, first practised on South African white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche, is based on turning up, turning on the camera and letting people damn themselves. In his film of Terreblanche, the tactic worked, brilliantly deflating alarmist rumours of an Afrikaaner coup in it's portrait of it's pathetic subject. But in 'Aileen', it's unclear who Broomfield is trying to damn, or whether anyone is well served by the putting of the story on camera. In one of the most chilling moments, we see the awful television coverage of Wuornos' execution (sample sound-bite: "Date with Death"), but at one remove, through Broomfield's own lens. Does this make the film an expose, or merely an exploitation of (and contributor to) our collective and irrational fear of that tiny proportion of humanity who kill for apparently no reason? It might do us more value to look at the (socially licensed) serial killers on both sides of the war in Iraq. Instead we play "watch the monster". At least 'Aileen' makes you think. But don't expect to understand.
Naive
shanayneigh17 September 2018
I'm a firm believer that there is no such thing as a neutral or objective documentary. In fact, some of the best documentaries, in my view, are thesis driven ones with a strong point of view.
Nick Broomfield sure isn't shy about his point of view and where his sympathies lie in "Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer". And that's fine. But what is not fine are the countless factual errors, half-truths and omissions that are too many to list in a simple review. That would take an essay.
Let me just say that when Broomfield in his narration describes Wournos as one of the most honest persons he's met, he comes off as more than a little naive.
As a corrective I can recommend the book "Lethal Intent" by Sue Russell published in 2002. Just hang in there, it picks up after the first quarter or so.
Nick Broomfield sure isn't shy about his point of view and where his sympathies lie in "Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer". And that's fine. But what is not fine are the countless factual errors, half-truths and omissions that are too many to list in a simple review. That would take an essay.
Let me just say that when Broomfield in his narration describes Wournos as one of the most honest persons he's met, he comes off as more than a little naive.
As a corrective I can recommend the book "Lethal Intent" by Sue Russell published in 2002. Just hang in there, it picks up after the first quarter or so.
Suffers a bit from Broomfield's bias but is still chilling and Wuornos is clearly not mentally competent
bob the moo16 May 2004
Almost a decade after he made his original documentary around the trial of Aileen Wuornos, Nick Broomfield is surprised to open his door one morning and be served with a subpoena to attend what would turn out to be Wuornos final appeal. After being heavily criticised for editing his film to give false impressions, Broomfield's involvement is finished when Wuornos gives up on her appeal and volunteers for the death sentence. Broomfield continues his documentary, looking back at the original trial and getting several interviews with Aileen before her death.
I have not seen the film Monster but I may rent it out after seeing this film as it has raised my interest and given me more factual background to the story than I imagine a Hollywood film would give me. I'm not a massive fan of Broomfield and I was amused to see him being slightly hauled over the coals in court over his editing (the implication being that he made it look like Aileen's lawyer had smoked several spliffs before coming to advise her). However, despite opening himself to this criticism, Broomfield starts looking at the case and digs up some interesting fans, but the real value of the film is the interviews with Wuornos herself. While the film has plenty of little legal points about whether or not she was well advised and about how the media seemed to vilify her more than other similar male killers, it is almost impossible to agree with the penalty when you hear Wuornos talking.
Throughout the film her story changes and I was confused as to what the truth was as she seemed to be lying with every other word. We are then given background of abuse and tough living conditions and suggestions that she is the creation of her harsh and unpleasant background. Despite some interviews (particularly with her mother) that cast doubt on her life, the overwhelming impression of her youth is one of suffering, hardship and cruelty. On top of this, Wuornos herself is increasingly erratic and is clearly not in her right mind reason enough for locking her away for life rather than killing her. She appears to be suffering from some form of split personality one moment talking calmly to Nick, the next swearing non-stop at the courts to let her die. The idea that Bush's competency hearing lasting 15 minutes just makes matters worse.
Broomfield is clearly a liberal and is very against the death penalty (his comment 'it has been proven that the death penalty is no deterrent' is just lazy) and this does give the film a real slant in Aileen's favour. Despite this the film is still chilling it is not totally clear what is true and what isn't but there are two things that are very clear. Firstly, there is no doubt that Aileen killed those men and that (in my opinion) self-defence is no defence for all of them. Secondly, Aileen is not in her right mind and should not have been killed but should have been jailed for life. It is chilling that so much is stacked in her favour and that Wuornos is only one of many people involved who want to flick the switch.
Overall, this is not an easy watch and even the Bush brothers would maybe have doubts over her death penalty. Her last interview descends into total paranoia and instability and is horrible to watch I was left in no doubt that she deserved jail but in no way did this woman deserve to be killed. It is a well made film despite some bias from Nick and the end result is a chilling film that really made me worry about the systems in some states in the US that seem to treat the death penalty with such ease like Nick says in reference to the physiological competency test, 'it makes you wonder what you have to do to fail'. After this film Broomfield was interviewed in The Times and said 'When I moved to the US in the 1970's, I had a real belief that it was the land of the free. For me this film marked the end of that belief' it is to the film's credit that many viewers will be shaken in the same way.
I have not seen the film Monster but I may rent it out after seeing this film as it has raised my interest and given me more factual background to the story than I imagine a Hollywood film would give me. I'm not a massive fan of Broomfield and I was amused to see him being slightly hauled over the coals in court over his editing (the implication being that he made it look like Aileen's lawyer had smoked several spliffs before coming to advise her). However, despite opening himself to this criticism, Broomfield starts looking at the case and digs up some interesting fans, but the real value of the film is the interviews with Wuornos herself. While the film has plenty of little legal points about whether or not she was well advised and about how the media seemed to vilify her more than other similar male killers, it is almost impossible to agree with the penalty when you hear Wuornos talking.
Throughout the film her story changes and I was confused as to what the truth was as she seemed to be lying with every other word. We are then given background of abuse and tough living conditions and suggestions that she is the creation of her harsh and unpleasant background. Despite some interviews (particularly with her mother) that cast doubt on her life, the overwhelming impression of her youth is one of suffering, hardship and cruelty. On top of this, Wuornos herself is increasingly erratic and is clearly not in her right mind reason enough for locking her away for life rather than killing her. She appears to be suffering from some form of split personality one moment talking calmly to Nick, the next swearing non-stop at the courts to let her die. The idea that Bush's competency hearing lasting 15 minutes just makes matters worse.
Broomfield is clearly a liberal and is very against the death penalty (his comment 'it has been proven that the death penalty is no deterrent' is just lazy) and this does give the film a real slant in Aileen's favour. Despite this the film is still chilling it is not totally clear what is true and what isn't but there are two things that are very clear. Firstly, there is no doubt that Aileen killed those men and that (in my opinion) self-defence is no defence for all of them. Secondly, Aileen is not in her right mind and should not have been killed but should have been jailed for life. It is chilling that so much is stacked in her favour and that Wuornos is only one of many people involved who want to flick the switch.
Overall, this is not an easy watch and even the Bush brothers would maybe have doubts over her death penalty. Her last interview descends into total paranoia and instability and is horrible to watch I was left in no doubt that she deserved jail but in no way did this woman deserve to be killed. It is a well made film despite some bias from Nick and the end result is a chilling film that really made me worry about the systems in some states in the US that seem to treat the death penalty with such ease like Nick says in reference to the physiological competency test, 'it makes you wonder what you have to do to fail'. After this film Broomfield was interviewed in The Times and said 'When I moved to the US in the 1970's, I had a real belief that it was the land of the free. For me this film marked the end of that belief' it is to the film's credit that many viewers will be shaken in the same way.
Tortured Soul
Herag19 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
She was a "Frank Breech Birth" according to her mother, Diane, who claimed that Aileen, might have been brain damaged during birth even though it was her impression that she was mentally competent. The last few scenes are chilling and makes one think twice about competency hearing and death penalty. She was seen by three shrinks for 20 minutes each few days before the execution and declared competent. Broomfield's introspective statement one of the best one liners-"How badly you have to perform to be declared incompetent?" She disowned and despised her mother. The mother's action probably triggered her rage and the abuse by men made her deranged and impulsive. She did not accept the mothers plea thru the interviewer, to forgive her, even though she had no contact with her mother for over 25 years. She claimed that the family was decent but were too strict, She was thrown out of the house after at 13, to live in snow in a truck with the four wheels resting on cinder blocks. Her last wishes for her to be cremated and ashes to be scattered over estate in Michigan, and the last song to be played at the wake "Carnival" by Natalie Merchant, is sad and poignant. The best piece of the film, is when Nick Broomfield gives an interview to the media, on day of the execution and the camera is focused on the media for their reaction and one female news reporter(a stunningly attractive woman) makes incredible professional facial gestures, to hide her tears from the camera. If she (Wuornos) was a "Monster" that she was made up to be, why shed tears? This only confirms that her execution was more political than based on principle. She certainly was a tortured soul on earth.
DOC ON AILEEN!
meeza29 July 2004
Who can forget Charlize Theron's monstrous Oscar-winning performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in `Monster'? Charlize was an actress portraying a monster. In the documentary `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer', Aileen Wuornos is also somewhat an actress portraying a monster. Her courtroom antics prove it! This doc was actually made back in 92. After the `Monster' mash, documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield decided to add a couple of more scenes and re-release it in 2003. Anyone who has been captivated by the Aileen Wuornos story will find this documentary to be mmmmm I guess captivating. However, he interviews such imbeciles like Wuornos' adopted mother & singing lawyer. Broomfield should have bloody cut their screen time. The highlight of `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' is Wournos' death row interview. It is downright terrifying! Hats off to Broomfield for his courageous gab with Aileen. However, why did he take us on a highway to hell by interviewing the imbecile adopted mother & singing lawyer? At that point I was about to rename this documentary `Mission Imbecible'. Broomfield made a brave documentary, but this broom man did not sweep me off my feet with `Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer'. *** Average
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
jboothmillard2 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I first saw the Oscar winning performance of an unrecognisable Charlize Theron in Monster, and then I saw the original 1993 documentary film from British filmmaker Nick Broomfield (Biggie & Tupac), I was looking forward to this second documentary that also featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Whereas the first film focused on interviews with all the people that knew and had acquaintance with Aileen Carol Wuornos, the former prostitute and America's first female serial killer, and ending of course with the interview of the woman herself, this film focused on the last days of her life before her execution, sentenced for seven counts of murder in the state of Florida. There is much more explanation of the life Wuornos had before turning to prostitution and of course becoming the savage murderer, including her troubled childhood where her father Leo Dale Pittman may have abused her, becoming homeless and forced to live out in the open, becoming a prostitute and spending most of her time on the road, and information about the seven men she killed, she claimed it was all in self defence, but there is no evidence to suggest this being true. The big difference with this followup film is the Broomfield gets to have much more time with Aileen, and it is obvious that her mental state is declining, with her twisted theories that the authorities are trying to mess with her in her cell, and her deluded reasons for killing the seven men, she did not want to talk all details on camera, but her true feelings were caught without her knowledge. Aileen was getting especially angry that her execution was constantly being changed and delayed, because she had to keep waiting to die which she apparently wanted to happen, she had already been sentenced to death seven times, but eventually a date was confirmed in 2003, when the judge ruled her mentally stable to go ahead (this is debatable). Broomfield does get to talk to her once more time, the day before her death, asking how she was really feeling and what she would be thinking about before the lethal injection would be carried out, and he also mentioned interviewing her mother Diane who asked for her forgiveness, she refused to do so and left the final interview angry, not necessarily with him, but with the authorities and stuff. With interviews and footage from Jesse 'The Human Bomb' Aviles, Cannonball, Sgt. Brian Jarvis and Mike Reynolds. This documentary is much more close and personal than the original, especially with having more interview time and footage of Wuornos, she was clearly insane and demented with her views on the world, and showed no remorse for the murders, with disgusting verbal insults to the authorities and opinions, she did at least open up more, but she deserved what she got, and this is a terrificly engaging documentary film about her. It was number 22 on The 50 Greatest Documentaries. Good!
Ashamed
chopper192424 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I am sitting listening to Aileen's song she wanted played at her wake (Natalie Merchant - Carnival). and i feel like weeping, here is the story about a woman who has been failed by everybody she has come in to contact with. Raped, Abused and left to fend for herself since 13 years old the film shows the harrowing story of a woman left with nothing but her own salvation. This is one of those films that make you question your own humanity. The last interview Aileen gave is heartbreaking, Going from acceptance to the fate she finds herself in, Happy even, To be getting it over with, To exploding with anger at everybody who made money from her story wile leaving her with an unfair trail an unfair investigation (movie rights!!). this woman is in no fit state to be executed. Life in jail, Yes, But execution??? My god what have we become. Killer? Victim? I know my opinion. Make yours.
The films of Nick Broomfield
Captain_Couth26 July 2005
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003) has to be Nick Broomfield's best film to date. Aided by the phenomenal camera work of Peter Watkins' protégé Joan Churchill, the two film makers capture the final days of convicted murder (and madwoman) Aileen Wuronos. Nick Broomfield put his heart into this project. He tries to delve deeper into the shattered and hateful psyche of Aileen (whom he has interviewed in the past) and continues to search for answers. I liked this documentary better than his previous one with Aileen. The photography and depth is so much better. Will Mr. Broomfield and Ms. Churchill find the answers that they're looking for? How will Aileen react to them as they try to interview her again? Why does the Christian right wanted this woman to die so bad? To find out you'll have to watch Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer.
A great film from Nick Broomfield. I just enjoy his film making. He should do more documentaries and have the ones he's already made released in the United States. Broomfield and Churchill make an awesome team! I have to highly recommend this movie. Even if you don't like documentaries you'll enjoy this one!
A great film from Nick Broomfield. I just enjoy his film making. He should do more documentaries and have the ones he's already made released in the United States. Broomfield and Churchill make an awesome team! I have to highly recommend this movie. Even if you don't like documentaries you'll enjoy this one!
Compelling expose
Leofwine_draca4 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This documentary by Nick Broomfield is a follow-up to his earlier piece AILEEN WUORNOS: THE SELLING OF A SERIAL KILLER. This one was made ten years down the line, when Wuornos herself was about to be executed by lethal injection for her crimes. I haven't seen the earlier film but I know the case well from both the film MONSTER as well as various true-crime books on the subject. And what an eye-opener this is. Broomfield uses the case to shine a light into some of the darkest corners of American society. Wuornos turns out to be perhaps the biggest victim of them all, a victim of neglect, abuse, exploitation and patriarchal dominance since childhood. The psychology is in-depth and the documentary never less than compelling, albeit highly depressing and upsetting with it.
Stupid Documentary!
BreanneB16 July 2005
This documentary was the stupid most disturbing thing I have ever seen in my life. Nick Broomfield is totally out of his mind when he tries to fight for Aileen. There is no point to it, she was an evil person who would kill again, so she's better off dead.
Dawn Botkins is just as much insane as Aileen is. She wants to be loyal to a vicious serial killer. I'm glad Aileen got exactly what she deserved. I give this movie no stars at all. It is just absolutely stupid.
Hey one question too, Whatever happened to Tyria Moore?
She did the right thing by helping the prosecution sent Aileen to the lethal injection table.
Dawn Botkins is just as much insane as Aileen is. She wants to be loyal to a vicious serial killer. I'm glad Aileen got exactly what she deserved. I give this movie no stars at all. It is just absolutely stupid.
Hey one question too, Whatever happened to Tyria Moore?
She did the right thing by helping the prosecution sent Aileen to the lethal injection table.
Uncomfortable and Intense Experience
RobertF8712 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
This film looks at the final days of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered seven men in the space of one year, and whose life story was filmed recently as "Monster". This is the second documentary that film-maker Nick Broomfield has made about Wuornos. In fact this film opens with Broomfield being called in to testify at a trial of Wournos, because of his previous documentary "Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer".
The film deals with Wuornos' horrific background and also with the various hearings and appeals to try to save her life. Broomfield uses extensive interviews with Wuornos where she makes it clear that, after 12 years on death row, she wants to die, and in fact, changes her story and fires her lawyer in order to stop any plans to halt her execution.
The main thrust of Broomfield's argument in the film is that Wuornos was insane and should never have been executed. You may find it hard to argue with him, when you hear Wuornos' paranoid rants and witness her drastic mood swings (calm and pleasant one minute and the next bug-eyed raving).
However you may feel about Wuornos' crimes and her claims of self-defence, it is hard not to feel sorry for her. She was someone who was abused and betrayed by almost everyone. Nick Broomfield obviously liked Wuornos and had some sympathy for her, and he was obviously one of the very few people that she liked and trusted.
"Life and Death of a Serial Killer" is the last testament to a tortured life.
This film looks at the final days of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered seven men in the space of one year, and whose life story was filmed recently as "Monster". This is the second documentary that film-maker Nick Broomfield has made about Wuornos. In fact this film opens with Broomfield being called in to testify at a trial of Wournos, because of his previous documentary "Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer".
The film deals with Wuornos' horrific background and also with the various hearings and appeals to try to save her life. Broomfield uses extensive interviews with Wuornos where she makes it clear that, after 12 years on death row, she wants to die, and in fact, changes her story and fires her lawyer in order to stop any plans to halt her execution.
The main thrust of Broomfield's argument in the film is that Wuornos was insane and should never have been executed. You may find it hard to argue with him, when you hear Wuornos' paranoid rants and witness her drastic mood swings (calm and pleasant one minute and the next bug-eyed raving).
However you may feel about Wuornos' crimes and her claims of self-defence, it is hard not to feel sorry for her. She was someone who was abused and betrayed by almost everyone. Nick Broomfield obviously liked Wuornos and had some sympathy for her, and he was obviously one of the very few people that she liked and trusted.
"Life and Death of a Serial Killer" is the last testament to a tortured life.
The Most Honest and Raw Serial Killer Film I Have Seen
gavin69426 February 2013
Nick Broomfield's second documentary on Aileen Carol Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the state of Florida. This second installment includes the filmmaker's testimony at Wuornos's trial.
I have studied serial killers on and off since the mid-1990s. I would hardly call myself an expert, but I have seen more than my share of footage and read more than my share of books. Aileen is definitely one of the more interesting serial killers. They are all interesting to a greater or lesser degree, but Aileen is interesting not only because she is a woman, but because she has a fascinating upbringing and mentality. I think she was crazy, but not necessarily a sociopath.
Male and female serial killers are different, both in their methods and their motives. As Wuornos herself says, she never had the "thrill" aspect, and despite being a prostitute, I doubt there was a sexual outlet aspect in her murders. She was, first and foremost, desperate for money. Whether she can even be called a serial killer at all is up for debate.
I have studied serial killers on and off since the mid-1990s. I would hardly call myself an expert, but I have seen more than my share of footage and read more than my share of books. Aileen is definitely one of the more interesting serial killers. They are all interesting to a greater or lesser degree, but Aileen is interesting not only because she is a woman, but because she has a fascinating upbringing and mentality. I think she was crazy, but not necessarily a sociopath.
Male and female serial killers are different, both in their methods and their motives. As Wuornos herself says, she never had the "thrill" aspect, and despite being a prostitute, I doubt there was a sexual outlet aspect in her murders. She was, first and foremost, desperate for money. Whether she can even be called a serial killer at all is up for debate.
Monster
HereComesJean7 March 2005
I saw monster last year, and tonight I just saw this documentary. Wow. There is so much more to this woman. Charlize Theron did a good job portraying Aileen, for a glamorous Hollywood actress of flawless beauty--of course it took pounds of added weight and makeup. But the real Aileen isn't as grotesque as Charlize looks in the movie--really. There is a certain charm about the real life woman that I saw in this doc. And a lot more anger.
In this doc, we see the woman laugh and joke, she is quite playful at times. But then you look at her eyes change when she talks about her life and you can the whites and it is frightening. And sad. And raw, emotionally powerful. The real life woman she loved betrayed her. And another thing, Charlize has a deep voice, while the real Aileen has a high pitched shrilly voice. The real Aileen seems a lot crazier, a lot angrier. Like that girl in Freeway, a movie I just saw last night. Especially in the scene where she gets picked up and robs the john, and she says, "Cause I'm pissd off and the world owes me." Definitely the same kind of crazed anger and hate. Raw. That's all I have to say.
In this doc, we see the woman laugh and joke, she is quite playful at times. But then you look at her eyes change when she talks about her life and you can the whites and it is frightening. And sad. And raw, emotionally powerful. The real life woman she loved betrayed her. And another thing, Charlize has a deep voice, while the real Aileen has a high pitched shrilly voice. The real Aileen seems a lot crazier, a lot angrier. Like that girl in Freeway, a movie I just saw last night. Especially in the scene where she gets picked up and robs the john, and she says, "Cause I'm pissd off and the world owes me." Definitely the same kind of crazed anger and hate. Raw. That's all I have to say.
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