Errol Morris takes us on a ride detailing the fascinating story of Fred A. Leuchter. In so doing, he shows us what happens when the impertinent ideologue meets the power of political zealotry. The perception of Leuchter takes on many forms. On one hand, he is the very personification of the American dream by being a man who rose above his limited education and made a niche for himself in the business of execution. He is also the classic American idealist. A man who values the principles of the Constitution above all, even when defending them come at the expense of reputation and financial security. However, Leuchter is also termed an anti-Semitic death monger, and the very personification of immorality. Turgescence aside, in my view Leuchter falls somewhere in the middle.
Leuchter's take on the Constitutional tenants of cruel and unusual punishment are clear. He believes the state has the right to execute, yet not to "torture" the executed. A modern day Joseph Ignace Guillotin, Leuchter saw his role as providing a humane death for the condemned. By his own admission, Leuchter explained that his reputation as an "expert" on the varieties of killing machines, was formed in the absence of competition. Thus, Leuchter defined competency as being willing to do the research and solve the problem. This particular expression of his Constitutional piety found him opposed only by the anti-capital punishment lobby, a frame of reference that would prove inadequate once he agreed to help Ernst Zündel.
It is here that Morris and the film break down. While Morris competently sets the stage of how Leuchter could be become involved in the Zündel defense, what isn't clarified is Leuchter's take on his own methodology and the subsequent analysis done by the lab to which the rock samples were sent to. All the testimonials that deify and demonize him are the predicable protestations of political zealots. However, the moral linchpin of the entire Fred A. Leuchter story is the degree to which Leuchter felt he lived up to his stated definition of competence, and his behavior following the socio-political uproar. Instead, Morris leaves us with a multitude of hyperbolical expressions that provide little depth to the issue. Morris's cinematic quirks of angled shots, changeable film stocks, and Tesla coil effects are not enough to mask this ultimate failure. In all, an interesting yet unsatisfying effort at bringing a more comprehensive view to the story of Mr. Death.
Leuchter's take on the Constitutional tenants of cruel and unusual punishment are clear. He believes the state has the right to execute, yet not to "torture" the executed. A modern day Joseph Ignace Guillotin, Leuchter saw his role as providing a humane death for the condemned. By his own admission, Leuchter explained that his reputation as an "expert" on the varieties of killing machines, was formed in the absence of competition. Thus, Leuchter defined competency as being willing to do the research and solve the problem. This particular expression of his Constitutional piety found him opposed only by the anti-capital punishment lobby, a frame of reference that would prove inadequate once he agreed to help Ernst Zündel.
It is here that Morris and the film break down. While Morris competently sets the stage of how Leuchter could be become involved in the Zündel defense, what isn't clarified is Leuchter's take on his own methodology and the subsequent analysis done by the lab to which the rock samples were sent to. All the testimonials that deify and demonize him are the predicable protestations of political zealots. However, the moral linchpin of the entire Fred A. Leuchter story is the degree to which Leuchter felt he lived up to his stated definition of competence, and his behavior following the socio-political uproar. Instead, Morris leaves us with a multitude of hyperbolical expressions that provide little depth to the issue. Morris's cinematic quirks of angled shots, changeable film stocks, and Tesla coil effects are not enough to mask this ultimate failure. In all, an interesting yet unsatisfying effort at bringing a more comprehensive view to the story of Mr. Death.