Shakespeare Behind Bars

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Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Hank Rogerson
Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
Release Date: 2006-07-18
Shakespeare Behind Bars is a film that follows an all-male Shakespearean theater company composed of convicted felons. For one year, while incarcerated at Kentucky's Luther Luckett prison, the cast rehearse and perform a full production of Shakespeare's great last play, The Tempest.

The prisoners cast themselves in roles reflecting their life experiences, including the crimes for which they were convicted. As they struggle to understand the characters they are playing, they uncover startling and moving truths about themselves.

The Tempest’s underlying theme of forgiveness is at the heart of this incredible documentary. Through their creative journey, these "murderers, fugitives and thieves" reveal kindness, generosity and faith. And we are left wrestling with the notions of transformation and redemption.

• Official Selection - Sundance Film Festival 2005
• Official Selection - Edinburgh Int’l Film Festival 2005
• Special Jury Prize - Independent Film Festival of Boston 2005
• Best In Show - Bendfilm Festival 2005
• Crystal Heart Award - Heartland Film Festival 2005

Special Features

• Prisoner Commentaries
• Filmmaker Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Bonus Performance Footage
• Troupe Update

All is not forgiven . . .
This documentary is a remarkable achievement in itself, managing to capture the 9-month process of producing a full-length Shakespeare play behind bars, while revealing in depth many of the inmates who participate in the production. Assembled from hours of footage into a single, coherent narrative, the film challenges nearly every preconceived notion an audience might have about prisoners serving time for violent crimes - as well as the environment in which they spend the months and years of their sentences. And it shows again the power of the collaborative enterprise of drama in transforming and sustaining the lives of those who perform it, whether professional or amateur.

Emotions run high in the film - and there are moments of comedy and humor - as the men allow us to see them almost as deeply as they see themselves, in a life-long process of recovering lost integrity, lost dignity, and lost identity. It is as though the magnitude of their crimes has forced them to confront themselves in ways that we in the audience have seldom if ever had to. Meanwhile, despite the increasing depth of self-knowledge, the great dilemma for them (and for us) is whether the crimes they have committed are finally forgivable. While their lives as inmates exhibit a kind of uncommon courage in the rebuilding of self-worth and character, their regret is that if they are remembered at all, it will be for the worst things they have done.

For me, this was the message that came through most clearly in the film, and the prison production of "The Tempest" was only an interesting and fascinating pretext for taking us to the center of this ethical conundrum. That "The Tempest" is finally about forgiveness rather than retribution says much about how, in this case, art makes life livable. The DVD has about 30 minutes of deleted scenes, plus three separate commentaries by the filmmakers, the director of the play, and four of the inmate performers. Maybe not surprisingly, the inmates' commentaries are by far the most interesting. The film is served quite well by the musical score, as well.

Shakespeare Would Have Loved These Guys
Shakespeare Behind Bars explores life for a group of twenty or so inmates at Kentucky's Luther Luckett Correctional Center. For the past fourteen years director annd educator Curt Tofteland has worked with the inmates to put on a full production of a Shakespeare play. The production at issue in the movie is The Tempest. This play was chosen because of emphasis on forgiveness.

The film follows the nine month process from casting to final performance. The key in this film is the process not the final product. For it is in the process of doing the play that the inmates learn about themselves and indeed help to find forgiveness in themselves.

This is a powerful documentary that needs to be seen by educators and especially those in the corrections industry. It is about the redemptive and forgiving power of drama and art.

The version I viewed was produced by Shout Factory. It features three commentaries. The first two by Tofteland and a selection of the inmates provide valuable insight into the program and life in prison in general. The third commentary is bt film makes Hank Rogerson and Jilann Spitzmiller. Also featured are some deleted scenes and some additional performance footage.

If there is a complaint about this package it's that Shout Factory has added two non removable trailers to both the beginning and the end of the presentation. While they are interesting the first time you see them ; being forced to watch them over and over has a tendency to get annoying.

See this it's a great documentary.

Shakespeare and Self Knowledge
Shakespeare Behind Bars is a fascinating look at how Shakespeare, even in, and particularly in, a prison setting can help us explore who we are. This is not a project whose only purpose is to "put on a show", but it's the process, not the product, which is invaluable. We see growing insight into each man's own humanity, self-revelation and understanding, and increased compassion for each other develop over the course of working on a play. Although we only see glimpses of the final product, we watch the intense emotional and intellectual involvement of each inmate. A very moving piece. The director of the play, who works closely with each actor/inmate, is to be commended for a very valuable look at what is possible.

All The World's A Stage, Even In Prison--A Fascinating Look At The Influence Of Art
Catching up on some documentaries that I missed, I was eager to check out "Shakespeare Behind Bars" which had been a big sensation on the film festival circuit a couple of years ago. Highlighting a program within Kentucky's Luther Luckett medium security prison, "Shakespeare" details the staging of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" by a small group of dedicated inmates. This is a program that has existed for many years at this particular prison (each year boasts a different Shakespearean play) and has had a surprising impact on those who have participated. From casting through performance, the film follows many months of rehearsals--but more important than the play itself is how the various inmates relate to the material and to the experience of performing.

We meet a diverse group of convicts, and many share their personal history. With surprising candor and regret, in most cases, they are upfront about their crimes (up to and including murder). Most of the interviews are thoughtful, honest, and even insightful--these men take full responsibility for the actions which led them to be locked up. Using the Shakespeare Behind Bars program as rehabilitation, many have found a better understanding of themselves (and human nature) by exploring the themes inherent in the plays. One particular example comes from the inmate who is coerced into playing Miranda, the young female protagonist of "The Tempest." Initially resistant, it is fascinating to see him come to identify with Miranda--by fully understanding her, he is coming to terms with himself.

But these men are criminals, too. And we see how parole hearings, transfers, and solitary confinement threaten to derail the production. But again, it's not so much about "The Tempest." Paraphrasing one inmate, he doesn't want to be remembered solely for the worst thing he's ever done. "Shakespeare" is an unorthodox program that actually seems to benefit its participants on a myriad of levels. Never less than captivating, this documentary provides a window into the human condition where you might be surprised to find yourself identifying with convicted murderers. Insightful, but not preachy, this matter-of-fact film can be surprisingly heartbreaking. KGHarris, 01/07.

Not "The Tempest," but many authentically personal storms
The previous reviewer's disappointment is apparently rooted in a mistaken inference: that this documentary's title implies that it records a finished performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest by incarcerated offenders.

I have discussed the documentary with a mixed group of twenty-five offenders in an Indiana prison and they had no trouble recognizing and appreciating it for what it is.

This documentary is most impressive for its portrayal of the impact of PREPARING a Shakespearean performance on the self-understanding of the performers. The candor and intelligence with which these incarcerated gentlemen find the connection between their struggles to pretend to be someone they're not while discovering the truth about themselves is truly astounding. No one experienced in the myriad issues associated with "corrections" and offender-reentry could fail to appreciate the many small personal victories portrayed in this documentary unless they had the misfortune to view it with others not prepared to accept it for what it is.

Hopefully, the social worker whose daughter gave it to her as a Christmas present will give it a second look, in her daughter's absence.