The Farm: Life inside Angola Prison

1998 documentary

Rating: 15/20

Plot: Glimpses at the lives of six inmates at the largest prison in America, a prison so large that it actually contains a small town for the prison's employees to live. The camera follows a guy with terminal cancer, two guys who have reformed and are ready to service their communities, a guy on death row, a twenty-four year old new arrival, a guy who didn't do it, and a guy who needs a dentist. The only way out seems to be death for them.

What's a prison documentary without a rape scene or two? Nevertheless, gripping objective filmmaking here. I would have liked to see at least one of the six inmates wind up with a happy ending, but I suppose that wouldn't represent the reality of their situations. Learning about the logistics of a place this gargantuan was fascinating (i.e. the amount spent on toilet paper). I thought the warden came across as a pretty interesting fellow, much more optimistic than I figured he would be. Most disturbing was a scene with a parole board that I just couldn't believe. The warden you figure knows he's got a camera on him and might be adapting his personality a bit. These parole guys act as if there's not a camera in the room and provide what is the most shocking bit of dialogue I've seen in a long time. This never gets sappy or preachy, never suffers from the filmmakers getting in the way, and is a compelling hour-and-a-half.