Louis Theroux - Behind Bars

Louis Theroux - Behind Bars

He does different documentaries following people around. Behind Bars is a television documentary written and presented by Louis Theroux. It is about one of America's most notorious and oldest prison, San Quentin in northern California . He spends two weeks with the inmates of the prison. The film was produced and directed by Stuart Cabb. He meets and speaks to serial murderers, gang members, at risk inmates and guards. San Quentin was built in 1852 and suffers from over crowding, it has a population of 3,000 murderers, sexual predators and small time criminals. There are 20 people per room in the prison.

David silver was sentenced to 520 years in prison which is longer than Hannibal Lector. It could link to 'A Very British Gangster' with the story about the dogs head. There is an introduction and a voice over is used to show the audience to know what the programme is about and statistics are used such as how many criminals are in the prison, it also shows the daily routines of what happens in the prison whilst walking through. To introduce the title of the programme a shadowed person is used and a stop light. The spotlight could link to when escapists from prison get spotlights put on them.

There is an establishing shot to show the audience the prison, there is an extreme long shot to show that this is where all the action is going to happen within the documentary. There is a straight cut to Louis inside the prison. There is then a low angle shot on one of the inmates he is used to do an interview to show that hes not very important.  There is quirky angelic music in the background which contradicts what music would normally be played to introduce a programme about a prison. The BBC logo suggests that this documentary is well educated and they have researched into the prison well. It also shows how well financed this documentary is. There is a montage of different images shown. There is another shocking bit of footage as Louis has to wear a bullet proof vest this builds tension and gives a sense of danger for the viewers.

He asks questions that the audience would want to know, he draws out the answers even if he knows them for the benefit of the viewer. The angle of the camera shows the scar on one of the guards face to show how dangerous his job is and what happens inside the prison. 23 hours out of 24 there is a lock down in the prison where the inmates are all locked behind bars. You cant see through the prison doors to look at the inmates therefore meaning that they cant see out either, they shout at the camera and try to get attention so they can get on TV.

He interviews the inmates by doing a hand held shot so that the camera can follow who ever is talking. Louis asks them questions about why they are in prison and what they have done. The cell rooms are extremely tidy and haven't got much stuff inside them all there is, is a bed and a shelf. Gangster music is used when the prisons are let out for 'yard time' which is their only moments let out of the cells. All races have different sections of the courtyard and are all separated from each other as they stay away from each other. There is a clear leader of the gangs but they're not allowed to say as they would be put in solitary confinement.

The inmates say that 'its too easy to do the time' suggesting that is easier to be in prison then to be part of the real world showing they think life is scary. The badger section of the prison is the worst section which contains 'level 4' inmates which are considered to be extremely dangerous and have done crimes such as murder. In this part of the prison the inmates cannot show weakness as other prisoners will be able to see it in them and take advantage of that.

There is a fade out at the end of the interview with one of the 'extremely dangerous' inmates.This could represent a new day or Louis going to another section of the prison. After they have lunch they go back to their cells for the rest of the day during 'lockdown'. They seem grateful that someone from the outside world has taken an interest in them as no one else really cares about them. As they are in prison for so long some of the inmates form relationships with other men.

David Silva's crime was torturing people with a gang therefore that is why he had so long in prison as the things he did to these people they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. He was 29 when he got convicted of this crime and is now 33. He was in a young offenders institute from the age of 11 till he was 22 then he went straight to prison. He would never leave prison and has 11 life sentences. He accepts all responsibility for what he did. He doesnt have to worry about the normal stresses of life when hes in prison which he says keeps him sane and helps him get through life being locked up.

Every new section of the documentary starts with an extreme long shot of the prison. The prison is mostly made up of gang drop outs. The guards get to know some of the inmates really well. There is a bible group in the prison who are extremely religious. They refuse to tell Louis what they were convicted for as they don't want people to know what they have done. One of the gay inmates thinks it easier to be openly homosexual in prison even if they do cause negative attention.

People that have been in prison for so long cant adapt to real life as they would find it hard to follow rules. One of the guards say that in the prison the inmates are somebody out in the world they are nobodies. On his last day in the prison Louis goes to see the prisoners that are getting out to start a 'new life' there are about 22 people going out. One of the guards says that about half of the people that get released go back into prison within a couple of months as they go back to their old ways. The inmates getting released say they are nervous to go back out into the world as they have been locked up for so many years. At the end of the documentary there is jazz music about the prison and it also fades out into credits.