The Mark Of Cain Movie DVD Review

This is a review of Alix Lambert's the Mark Of Cain. This year 2000 movie is not rated.

The Mark of Cain is a documentary about life within Russia's prison system.

I applaud the filmmaker's ability to get within the prison walls of Russia's notorious prison system. I also applaud his ability to draw out such candid stories from the Russian prisoners.

The film focuses heavily around prison life and the prisoner's hierarchy, credo and, in a surprisingly interesting way, how their tattoos define their prison role and beliefs.

The gritty, laid back, candid scenes are quietly disturbing and revealing. Every scene reeks of a prisoners insanitary, hungry, claustrophobic life. There is none of the melodrama that you normally find in an American prison documentary. All of the drama is found between the lines in the stories the prisoners tell.

Very interesting film. Some may criticize it, as I thought I might, for not putting the prison officials on the spot, on camera, for the conditions in the prison. To me, this omission is acceptable. In the context of a dictatorial state, I cannot expect a filmmaker to take too many risks. Just getting the prisoner's stories on camera is testimonial enough to the bravery of the film.