The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce

2008 AU Michael James Rowland
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Alexander Pearce was an 19th-century Irishman sentenced to Sarah Island penal colony in Australia. Twice he escaped—once with seven men, once with a single partner—and twice he came out alive, alone, having eaten human flesh to survive. For his crimes, he was sentenced to hang, and did so. Prior, he gave his confession to a priest, Philip Connely, and shocked the "civilized" British world. This 60-minute docudrama (that most-maligned of genres, though excellent if done right) makes visual these confessions in a haunting yet rugged way. It is an old-style adventure / survival story with a horrific twist and an eye to the effects of human mistreatment, beatings. Question: who is the monster? Film is sympathetic to Pearce, as was (?) his confessor. It is humane—history with a conscience. The picture looks excellent. Digital cameras, locations, period detail, and beautiful nature cinematography create a sense of immediacy and involvement. Stirring stuff, indeed.