Watch: Brother’s Keeper 1992 123movies, Full Movie Online – This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert’s of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William – Bill, for short), working as semi-literate farmers, and living together in isolation in a ramshackle shack, until William’s death. The subsequent police investigation and medical examiner’s autopsy suggested Bill may not have died from natural causes, and Delbert was arrested on charges of second-degree murder. Under questioning by police, Delbert appears to have waived his rights and signed a confession, but, it seems he might not have been competent, and was coerced into doing so. The film explores possible motives for the crime, from mercy-killing (Bill was ill at the time), to progressively more outré hypotheses. It also shows how residents of the rural community of Munnsville, NY rallied to the support of one of their own (residents previously considered the Wards as social outcasts), against what they felt were intrusive ‘big-city’ police and a district attorney involved in an election, who might’ve used the death to help bolster his candidacy..
Plot: This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert was a member of a family of four elderly brothers, working as semi-literate farmers and living together in isolation from the rest of society until William’s death.
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touching documentary about murder in a small town
This well made documentary involving the murder trial of an illiterate farmer in upstate New York is about as well made as they come. Delbert Ward, a simple farmer who could hardly read, is accused of killing his brother, Bill, in his sleep. Motives for the crime ranged from ‘mercy killing’ (his brother was sick at the time) to even the suggestion of a sex crime (the brothers shared the same bed all their lives and never had girlfriends). Delbert signed a confession but claims the police made him sign and agree to certain things that weren’t true just so he can go home. When the charges were made the whole town of Munnsville, NY, came to Delberts side to defend him and even got money together to release him on bail. This film is an interesting look into the lives of simple people being confronted with ‘big city’ police and attorney tactics. Even after winning some awards from big film festivals no one bought the film so the filmmakers self-distributed the movie themselves, taking it from theater to theater. It is now one of the most successful self-distributed films of all time. It now has distribution and is well praised. Good Stuff!
Fascinating documentary
When God asks Cain where his brother is, Cain replies, “I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?”. Documentary film-makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky shed the light of their focus not as much on the brother’s guilt over the accusation of killing his brother, as on the massive social divide caused by this incident in a small rural village in New York. Living almost in solitude on the farm owned by their family for generations, the three remaining brothers Ward – Delmar, Lyman and Roscoe – were largely ignored by the townsfolk and dismissed as harmless simpletons until the media circus that engulfed their surrounding following the death of eldest brother William descended.Shot in cinema verite style (Berlinger and Sinofsky worked under the Maysles brothers for a time), the three Ward brothers prove to be strange yet oddly sweet characters. They clearly haven’t bathed for weeks, possibly months, their farm is half crumbled, and their living room is cramped and dank. When approached about the topic of women, it becomes clear that they probably haven’t ever been with one, therefore inevitably condemning their family line. The main reason the townsfolk quickly gather their support for Delmar after he is accused of murder is because of their simple innocence, and because they have simply never caused any bother. On the opposite side of the spectrum, things are different, with hick stereotypes and cries on incest being broadcast of national TV.
Like Berlinger and Sinosky’s Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hoods Hills (1996), the court room scenes are tense and overwhelmingly unfair. One of the most powerful scenes has one of the brother’s, a man clearly of social ineptitude, lose his breath on the stand, requiring serious medical attention. This is a world almost alien to them, and they suffer in it due to illiteracy and possible retardation. But it’s more than a simple court-room documentary, this is about how society fears and judges people and cultures they simply don’t understand. The ‘simple’ folk seem to easily distinguish right from wrong, yet the fat suits sat behind their big desks play God against people not educated enough to properly fight back.
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Original Language en
Runtime 1 hr 44 min (104 min)
Budget 0
Revenue 0
Status Released
Rated R
Genre Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Director Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Writer N/A
Actors Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward
Country United States
Awards 10 wins & 4 nominations
Production Company N/A
Website N/A
Sound Mix Mono
Aspect Ratio N/A
Camera N/A
Laboratory N/A
Film Length N/A
Negative Format 16 mm
Cinematographic Process N/A
Printed Film Format 35 mm