‘Til Death Do Us Part

Vita Lusty's documentary ‘Til Death Do Us Part serves as a kind of after-the-fact defense for 13 California women—victims of domestic abuse convicted for murdering their spouses and sentenced to life in prison—who weren't able to explain the circumstances behind their actions before sentencing (and in fact many were forcibly sedated during their trial), because “battered woman syndrome” was not admissible in a court of law prior to 1992.Although each story is different (when Ellen tried to leave after 17 years, her husband threatened to kill their two daughters; Caroline miscarried twins after a vicious beating), all share a similar arc, from falling in love, to enduring multiple beatings before striking back in self-defense, to the legal aftermath. In addition, Lusty speaks with author Elizabeth Leonard (Convicted Survivors), Judge Elliot Daum, and Stephen Green, a representative for former Governor Gray Davis, and concludes with a call-to-action profile of the Habeas Project, a nonprofit group working toward providing these convicts with a second chance at a fair trial (the deadline is 2010, which means some will have already spent 20 years behind bars). Although this low-budget documentary carries a warning about poor audio conditions, the dialogue is comprehensible, with the possible exception of a parole hearing. DVD extras include text-only director's notes and subject updates, two of Lusty's student shorts, and performance footage of soundtrack artist Faith Nolan. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)