Capital punishment always comes down to the dirty business of revenge no mater what arguments are used to justify the state's execution of human beings. This point is made with emotional power in the story of Albert Pierrepoint (1905-1992), England's last hangman. Timothy Spall puts in an extraordinary performance as this mild-mannered and courteous fellow who works as a grocer's delivery man before stepping into the line of work of his father and uncle in 1934. Pierrepoint moves out of his mother's flat and marries Anne (Juliet Stevenson).
As part-time hangman, Pierrepoint is very efficient and humane in his work. He proves to be a master at determining the requirements of execution by the weight and height of the individual. Those about to die are often shaking and crying with fear. Others remain coldly indifferent. Pierrepoint is very meticulous and respectful of the dead body since, in his eyes, the execution has cleared away the person's sins and he or she is now pure and innocent. Pierrepoint finally tells Anne what he does for a living, and she confides that she already had figured it out. They both are quite proud when General Montgomery calls upon him as the "Number One" executioner in the country to hang 13 Nazi war criminals. This assignment shatters Pierrepoint's guarded anonymity and he becomes the target of angry protesters in the 1950s who are against capital punishment.
It is fascinating to watch Pierrepoint's relationship with other men who assist him in his grim job. He separates his true identity from the job and hides behind the professionalism of his rigid work ethic. But finally, the stench of death reaches his heart in a case that compels him to rethink his role as England's hangman.
By the end of his career, Pierrepoint had hanged over 600 individuals. The film ends with a quotation on the screen from the hangman: "The fruit of my experience has this bitter aftertaste. Capital punishment, in my view, achieved nothing but revenge."
Special DVD features include audio commentary with director, deleted scenes, and theatrical trailer.
