Too often, sitcoms rely on prison rape for cheap "don't drop the soap"-style tasteless jokes, but this documentary reminds us that sexual violation is a matter-of-fact part of incarcerated life. Narrated by former convict and character actor Danny Trejo, Turned Out is a harrowing and graphic deconstruction of sexual assault and related issues of power, violence, and intimacy among the inmate population. Afforded wide access to the men of Alabama's Limestone Correctional Facility, director Jonathan Schwartz attempts to humanize a subject that most people would rather ignore, illustrating through lengthy interviews with former gang member Mark and his fair-haired boyfriend "Mindy" how a relationship that started as abuse can develop into something closer to family. While the details of the prison world are unsettling, Schwartz's storytelling instincts often fail him, particularly in a 10-minute retelling of a horrifying rape scene, which provides no new information and ultimately feels like the worst kind of gratuitous padding. Too, the film lacks the deeper insights into both the psychological and ethical aspects of sexual assault that might have been accomplished with the addition of interviews featuring experts from the fields of psychology and sociology. Optional. (D. Fienberg)
Turned Out: Sexual Assault Behind Bars
(2003) 50 min. VHS: $99 ($275 w/PPR). The Cinema Guild. ISBN: 0-7815-0949-1. Volume 18, Issue 5
Turned Out: Sexual Assault Behind Bars
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