Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

Over ten years after Nick Bloomfield released his documentary, "Aileen Wuornos - The Selling of a Serial Killer", he releases this 'update' of Aileen Wuornos life on death row. It's obvious from the sound and visuals that Bloomfield made some money from his first documentary. Ms. Wuornos trust is obvious and she gives Mr. Bloomfield plenty of smiling and energetic interviews. This second installment is less about the tragic life of Aileen Wuornos and more about her life after incarceration. Her initial hippie stoner lawyer is confirmed as the cad he always was and most of the 'sorry' information from the first documentary is only hinted at. Instead we see the last few days of this 'female serial killer' as she tries to bravely bring herself to terms with what she has done - along with blaming other persons (arguably) responsible for why she ended up where she is. No one is exempt from blame and no person is without guilt or suspicion. Even her biological mother is interviewed and the dialogue is unnerving. What is ironic is the point that Wuornos and Bloomfield make, in that, so many officials were scheming to make money off of the movie rights. Bloomfield ends up the winner in the blood-money pool with the only (two) documentaries on the life and death of Aileen Wuornos. Although it is a better crafted film that his first, the message and information is not new. The saddest revelation is that none of the participants comes out a winner. The bad and greedy side of humanity prevails and the viewer is left with tabloid pity and the loss of American innocence.

Nick Broomfield's companion piece to his 1992 documentary "Aileen: The Selling of a Serial Killer," (both about notorious prostitute/serial killer Aileen Wuornos, the subject of Charlize Theron's "Monster") is creepy, powerful, thought provoking, and perversely entertaining. As well, it offers more insights on Wuornos and her crimes than "Monster" did. It includes gripping interviews with an almost certainly insane Wuornos shortly before her death (where she proves to be a coarse, inconsistent, and strangely likable screen presence). As well, there are interviews with Wuornos' mother, her best friend, some of her former lovers, and her former lawyer. Broomfield (a sort of Michael Moore with manners) also talks about Wuornos' turbulent life in detail, with such disturbing facts as she slept in the snow in the woods, was molested as a child, and from the age of nine was a prostitute. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended.
The DVD is in widescreen (1.85:1). The image is roughly broadcast quality, with few scratches. Being a documentary, these details barely matter. The only extra is a trailer for "Monster."

This is a documentary about Aileen Wuomos, who was executed in Florida after ten years on death row for murdering seven men. Here we meet the real Aileen, a prostitute who worked the truck routes in Florida. We get to meet some of the people in her life. And we can clearly see that, especially at the end of the film, she is insane.

Aileen had a horrible life. She comes from Michigan and grew up without a mother in a brutal household. When she was 13 she had a baby who was given up for adoption. After that, she wasn't let back into her home and actually lived in the woods. In Michigan this meant freezing in cold and snow. That's why she went to Florida, where it is warm.

She was a lesbian and had a few years of happiness with her lover, but her lover testified against her at the trial after tricking her to reveal her guilt in a series of taped phone calls. This all should have made me feel sorry for her, but I couldn't.

In the trial she testified that each of the men she murdered abused her in some way. She gave very graphic testimony about this but the jury didn't believe her. Later, after she was on death row awhile she said she made it all up and that she murdered them because she wanted her money. And then she whispered to the filmmaker when she thought she was off camera that she was, in fact, abused.

She's angry a lot. And she also smiles sweetly at times, especially when she greets the filmmaker. And then she goes into her story about how it was the cops who let her murder because they wanted to sell her story to the movies. She is probably paranoid about this. But of course, there is a movie out now that seems to indicate that Hollywood knew that this would make a good story.

I felt the documentary was well done by the British filmmaker, Nick Bloomfield. I got the feeling he, too, had mixed feelings about Aileen and was trying to tell her story as well as bring out the truth. This documentary goes right up to the execution. And even though we don't see that actual event, we learn what she wanted for dinner and what she wanted to wear. Also, although she talked a lot about religion and Jesus, she never wanted to talk to a minister.

It's a creepy story and it's well done. Definitely recommended.