Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Nick Broomfield

Writer:

Nick Broomfield (writer)

Release Date:

4 February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Ranch | Human Bomb | Newspaper Article | Killer | Murderer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jesse 'The Human Bomb' Aviles	...	Himself (as The Human Bomb)
Nick Broomfield	...	Himself - Interviewer
Cannonball	...	Himself
Steve Glazer	...	Himself
Sgt. Brian Jarvis	...	Himself
Michael McCarthy	...	Himself
Dick Mills	...	Himself
Arlene Pralle	...	Herself
Mike Reynolds	...	Himself
Aileen Wuornos	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual references.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Channel 4 Television Corporation

Movie Connections:

Followed by Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)

Sad!

A person may kill out of hatred, meanness, apathy, anger, or desperation. Whatever the reason, murder can never be tolerated except as an act of self defense. But what can we say about someone who repeatedly puts herself in dangerous situations, and then not once but seven takes a life, each time claiming that she had acted in self defense? As even she complains, it's all in the numbers. That she had a miserable life, with a long history of neglect and abuse, is doubted by no one. That those whom she killed were mean and loathsome toads who cared nothing for her, and would have taken her life had she not murdered them first, is also arguably true. But she kept putting herself in such situations repeatedly, anyway, and that's where her claim for self defense seems absurd.

The documentary portrays her as angry at the world, yet relentlessly addicted to bad advice from others who seek to exploit her for their own selfish reasons. First she listens to a nincompoop "Christian" lady, who convinces her that Jesus will forgive her sins if only she admits to all her crimes in court. So she does, only later to realize the stupidity of such advice. Similarly with legal representation. Going from bad to worse she listens to a worthless narcissist more interested in his own career than saving her life. For all involved, she is worth more dead than alive. Her life would end in the electric chair, while the audience would be eating popcorn and watching the Hollywood version of her story.

The deeper question, however, is how did this woman become a killer in the first place? What is it about our culture that we turn a blind eye to poverty, neglect and abuse, yet we blame those who act out their frustrations through anti-social behaviors? Given her background, why should we be surprised that she turned out as she did? Her life meant nothing to anyone until she went over the edge, and then it only meant a story to be exploited for profit by others. There are flaws in this documentary, to be sure, but a very sad story it yet remains.