The Staircase
The Staircase
| 01 June 2004 (USA)
The Staircase Trailers

Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson's lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. "The staircase" is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller.

Reviews
Invaderbank

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

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Lollivan

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

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Asad Almond

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

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Cheryl

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

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amazon-568-465972

I watched this and was enthralled by it - fantastic exciting TV and journalism. Edge of the seat stuff. HOWEVER - I then did some more research and found that the team producing this series was very selective in what they included. For example there was virtually no mention of the very significant financial issues the couple were in, or the fact that one of the french crew (Sophie Brunet, the film's editor) was having a relationship with Michael for many years during the making of the program. What about the fact that Kathleen had a large life insurance policy.... These and other issues either were totally ignored or at best mentioned in passing. This is unforgivable!

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dannad11

You will really enjoy watching this and sway back and forth about whether he did it or not, but the problem is, he was in a relationship with the documentary's editor and so a lot of facts were left out. When you read that information such as their financial struggles were left out, you quickly realise that you weren't actually shown anything that would make him look completely guilty.Google 'Michael Peterson' and you'll find lots of other things that were left out.

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mes-54957

I just watched The Keepers after finishing this. Werner Spitz was consulted on it, too. He mentioned on The Keepers how he was used for the defense but his findings were not used because they were not helpful for the defense. As a native to the Raleigh/Durham area, this case has been covered heavily for years! I'd say no one believes him and he is a complete narcissist. I found his interviews odd and wondered why so many people stuck by him. I wish the still shots of him and the driving around with phone calls were edited out.

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wwvvww-423-766900

This was one of the most biast programs I have ever watched. There's no way you can come to decision of guilty or innocent from watching this when it's made so much for the defence. The only thing it proves is that the American justice system is money driven, if you ain't got any your going down and nobody gives a toss.

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