MovieChat Forums > Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003) Discussion > Aileen's Sanity

Aileen's Sanity

posted 19 years ago by equalizer5150
11 replies | jump to latest

Broomfield remarked that he could not understand how Aileen could have been ruled sane to be executed. Sure she snapped and began killing johns but it was very clear she had mental capacity and understood what she was doing during the trial. After being caught and placed in prison, she obviously began to lose it mentally but that is what happens when you have lived an atrocious, flagitious life avoiding the reality of it with drugs and alcohol and then are placed in a room 24/7 with nothing to do except finally really take a look at one's self. She couldn't handle what she saw in herself and all of the psychological problems she encountered were the result of defense mechanisms to help her avoid reality. I am sure her long term heavy drug use (LSD and such) didn't help either.

What is important to understand is that even though she began experiencing paranoia, she was far from NOT meeting the criteria for lacking mental capacity to be executed. Broomfield either didn't understand this or simply chose to spin the story to make it out as though Florida's legal system was the perpetrator and she was the victim. Sure she had a sad, horrible childhood and life but she understood that what she did was wrong and unlawful.

Jeb Bush did the right thing and shame on the leftist Broomfield for trying to make Bush look as though he won his election using this as his platform. Florida has the death penalty and the law was carried out as it should. Bush would have made the same responsible decision at any point of his governorship. Feel sorry for the horrible conditions that created the monster Aileen but I do not feel sorry for her. She took lives thus her life was taken.

It is very easy to watch something like this documentary and come out believing what the director wanted you to, but one must think critically. This film was a great insight into Aileen but it was a one-sided approach at presenting this story to the viewer. There are many important aspects of this case that were purposely left out to present this story the way Broomfield wanted you to see it.

This was a good documentary but you won't catch me listening to Natalie Merchant and crying into a beer over the death of this killer.

[–] danhock 19 years ago

I dont know enough about this whole thing to be able to argue but surely when Jeb Bush got shrinks to analize her the 15 minutes it took them was not enough to form a decision, i dont know much about jeb but george is a bastard for some of the stuff he did in texas

[–] dixielady 18 years ago

As a Florida native, living in Marion County where 4 or the 7 murders took place (and she wasn't prosecuted on because of the previous death sentence, many people don't know the whole story. My only comment is this. Ailene was sentenced to death and had it been commuted to life I am poitive she would have been tried here in Marion County on the additional 4 counts of murder.
Since when does a person have to be insane to accept a death sentence and want it carried out? Gov. Bush pulled another stupid "step in over the line" in his handling of the Terry Schivo case in passing a law in 2 days to forbid her being allowed to die.

[–] jeff667 18 years ago

Nick Broomfield does not allude to the number of times that Aileen Wuornos had been interviewed by state psychiatrists over the course of her incarceration. No doubt it was AT LEAST dozens of times; given that, one final examination of 15 minutes as a formality makes perfect sense. I like the interviews that Broomfield does, and he elicits interesting information, but the pat conclusions he comes to and his appalling lack of context and information for his opinions are shameful and manipulative.

I am big. It's the pictures that got small....

[–] brokenforget 18 years ago

"She took lives thus her life was taken."

lol cuz that really makes so much sense

'I just wish, for once, people wouldnt act like the *beep* clichés that they are' - Claire Fisher

[–] the_famous_alexeh 18 years ago

again the problem with the death penelty which arises in this film is people take execution lightly, because they are removed from the situation, i mean insane or not should people really be exectuted? think about recently how the ex gang leader of "the bloods" who had won the nobel peace prize was executed.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] equalizer5150 18 years ago

In response to the_famous_alexeh's post, "again the problem with the death penelty which arises in this film is people take execution lightly, because they are removed from the situation, i mean insane or not should people really be exectuted? think about recently how the ex gang leader of "the bloods" who had won the nobel peace prize was executed."

Capital Punishment is a popular and long-standing debate. I think that serving time on death row or a setting like Charles Manson is worse than death. Look at what little time served like that had done to Aileen. Look at what it has done to Manson's mind. Otherwise, I am for the death penalty. Should we, the tax payers, pay for room and board for persons who have killed?

BTW, the ex gang leader, 'Tookie' did get a Nobel Prize nomination but did not win it. It's a long story but it's very easy to get nominated. One professor got nominated just to prove how easy it was.....by following certain steps and getting the right person to recommend the nomination. Tookie harmed people while in prison and was even involved with gangs while there.

[–] punky_fish27 18 years ago

yes, but who are you to decide who lives and dies? you're not in a position to decide what happens.

to me, the whole execution thing is stupid. no one on this earth has the right to decide who lives or dies, cos then that makes us no better than the murderers in the first place.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Bob_Brooker 17 years ago

equalizer5150 wrote:
Otherwise, I am for the death penalty. Should we, the tax payers, pay for room and board for persons who have killed?

get your facts straight, dude. sending people to the chair generates far more costs than imprisoning them for 40 years.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=108&scid=7

__________
Last movie watched: Arlington Road (8/10)

[–] 17 years ago

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