Aileen: Life and death of a serial killer

Questions on Aileen

(The opening 6 minutes)

Which types of footage are used in the opening? Why do you think the different types have been used – what is their function? Interviews, photo's - introducing the main players and giving the history and background.

What documentary techniques can you identify in the sequence? Voice-overs, photo's interviews and video clips of actual footage.

What information is given by the voiceover? What is the relationship between the voiceover and the images? The voiceover explains the images in more detail - He's diarising.

What do we find out about the central subject? She's a hitch hiking hooker that killed men but claims it's self defence.

How is the opening sequence of a documentary similar to the opening sequence of a fiction film? They introduce the characters - for example the family members, victims, voice-over and Aileen herself, you understand the 'plot' by the beginning and understand what she has done and a bit about what made her do it.

Make notes on the following as you watch the documentary (UPLAOD to your blogs under the heading Aileen: Life and death of a serial killer)

1. Name of documentary: Aileen: Life and death of a serial killer                                     

2. Date of production: 2003

3. Film maker/producer? Jo Human

4. Sub-genre(s)? Crime, mystery and thriller                            

5. Context of production: America

6. Purpose or purposes? To find out once and for all why she is getting the death century and why it was against her.

8. Use of selection: Only the media’s and Aileen’s point of view was in the documentary, this may have been so you felt sorry for Aileen even though you know you shouldn’t.         

9. Narrative sequence and editing? The cross cutting between nick and the news was really effective as you got both sides of the story from 2 different types of shows.

10. Narration/commentary? There was a lot of narration from nick which was a lot like the voice of God.

11. Use of interviews? The documentary had a lot of interviews in it which was really effective as you got the live feel.

12. Presence of crew? The only presence of crew you got throughout the documentary was nick while he was interviewing.

13. Non-diegetic sound and use of music? Most of the music heard was found in the video clips and pictures of her past but at the very end the song that played at her wake was played which may pull a few heart strings. This is when it feels real to me.

News stories

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/women/wuornos/1.html

http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2003_46_wed_01.shtml

What are your feelings towards Aileen after watching the documentary? What emotions did it stir?

I found her quite distrurbing personally, I hated when she smiled and acted all happy, this made me feel quite ill how someone could do something like that and not feel guilty - This is when I realised how ill SHE is!

Did Nick portray the real Aileen in his doctumentary?

I think Nick did the best he could but i feel she had a lot hidden and i think he didn't include everything she told him for TV.

Do you believe she should have received the death penalty?

I agree in the death penalty and i do believe she deserved it, as much as i had to say it throughout the documentary she acted like a nice person and if i knew her before the killings i don't think i would agree in the death penalty.