Shadow Kill

Adoor Gopalakrishnan's deeply disturbing film, set in the pre-independent India of the 1940s, tells the story of Kaliyappan, a hangman burdened with guilt. Although the local maharajah, who hands down the sentences of death, inevitably absolves himself by sending clemency statements designed to arrive right after the hangings, Kaliyappan suffers not only from the taking of lives (particularly when it becomes apparent that he is executing political prisoners rather than common criminals), but also strife with his son, who is devoted to Gandhian principles. When the growing horror of facing more executions becomes too much for Kaliyappan, he falls into depression and alcoholism, only to find that his job is then placed (to his shock) into the hands of his pacifist son. A small, initially slow-moving film, Shadow Kill is a harsh dissection of justice and personal values from one of India's best known filmmakers. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)