Study examines viewers' role in American death penalty films

Over the course of the last 100 years or more, many scenes of execution in American film have offered intimate knowledge of executions, giving viewers a privileged 'backstage' gaze of an execution not available outside film, the chance to see what executioners see, and a chance to understand the condemned's experience as he awaits death.

These motifs are explored in a recent Law & Social Inquiry analysis, in which the authors conclude by asking whether and how scenes of execution in American film provoke an awareness of the political responsibility inherent in viewers' identities as democratic citizens in a killing state.

"The death penalty is very much in the news and I hope this research will provide a broad context for today's political and legal debate," said lead author Dr. Austin Sarat.