Frustrated by the Filmmaker
I found the filmmaker's attitude in this movie frustrating. I understand that he is a very caring and compassionate person, I would not want make him wrong for that, or invalidate those traits. So in that case, I guess I will have to make-do with calling him "naive." The two things that bothered me where his concern that she had gone mad in the end and "we" proceeded to execute her in spite of that, and his constant questioning and probing--of her, others, and himself--as to whether she acted in self-defense or not.
As to the first point, I can easily imagine the emotional stress of being put to death could drive many a person insane. So, OK, let's assume she had "gone mad" in the end--so? That doesn't mitigate the fact that she was found sane enough to stand trial, and it doesn't mitigate the years of court and legal activity that preceded her death. And I'm not even pro-death penalty--that's a different debate. I'm just saying going mad at the end doesn't mitigate the punishment one is due.
Secondly--how do you even have to ask whether or not this was self-defense? Really? Honestly? It doesn't matter what she says, EVER! Just look at her actions!!! She robbed and killed seven men in one year's time, in the suburbs and back roads of Florida--not some war zone where one might be called upon to defend one's self seven times in one year. Maybe I could believe one or two killings in self defense, but after that, it doesn't matter what she says. Any non-cold blooded killer would have extricated themselves from the situation that continually landed them in the position of having to "kill to defend themselves." No--she did it on purpose.
Now, if you want to talk about the influences in her life that made her so messed up, or if you want to debate the death penalty, fine. Those are discussions that can be had about any serial killer. But don't let your own low confront of evil blind you to the fact that she was a cold-blooded killer, at least in those seven moments. That doesn't mean that he couldn't like her or care for her, or that she wasn't funny, charming or intelligent during his interviews with her--only horror movie killers are pure evil. Humans that commit evil acts still have some decent human traits. You can have compassion for her without having to "prove to one's self" that she acted in self-defense. That's what it felt like to me, that the filmmaker grew to like her, and then needed to prove to himself that she really acted in self-defense because he couldn't rationalize in his own mind caring for a cold-blooded killer. I found that annoying. She was clearly a psychotic lie-factory all along, and a serial murderer--she never expressed ANY REAL REMORSE for those killings. Just a few empty platitudes about "feeling bad" for all that "stuff." She was clearly the epitome of a walking anti-social personality. I think the filmmaker just couldn't believe it, which, in the long run, is a testament to his goodness...