"When I look at JJ, it makes me believe in the possibility of redemption."

Redemption. Reversals. Grey area. These are the things that make the idea of a binary, black and white life so very flawed. There is a certain comfort in the thought of a world that is cut and dry and free from confusion, but it is something we can never achieve. In between each yes and no, in between each bit of good and bad, there is grey area and the possibility for change. But unless we are faced with the wonderful shades of life that lie between, it's easy to dismiss them. However, it wasn't so easy for the pro-death penalty man who uttered the phrase above, and the many others in Chicago who were shocked to discover that their beloved poet and church member JJ Jameson was also Norman Porter -- a man convicted of two murders who had escaped from prison twenty years earlier.

Susan Gray's Killer Poet dips into Norman Porter's life, from the crimes and murder in Boston that landed him in jail, through his intellectual growth within the system, his next life as a poet and handyman in Chicago, and finally, his trip back to jail. It all started in 1960, during a robbery gone bad that resulted in the death of clothing store clerk John Pigott. He was arrested and convicted of Pigott's murder, and later in jail, found himself in another altercation that resulted in the death of head jailer David S. Robinson. Porter was not the one who pulled the trigger and shot Robinson, but the responsibility fell on Norman when his accomplice died.

After his convictions, he was a model prisoner. He got an undergraduate degree from Boston University, wrote poetry, and became involved within the prison community -- starting a radio station and newspaper. His first sentence was commuted by then-governor Michael Dukakis, but when he tried to get his second commuted as well, the families of the victims showed up, and the request was denied. He lasted almost ten years before something snapped. He signed out of Norfolk Pre-Release Center for a walk, and wasn't seen again until police apprehended him in Chicago many years later.

In Chicago, he got heavily involved in the community, writing and performing poetry, and creating a day care center at his church. But just like his life isn't black and white with his good and bad actions, his life in Chicago wasn't without its problems. He was known for his drinking, and grabbed a few minor arrests under his new name. It was the fingerprinting for these offenses that finally led to his capture. His alias and prints were finally linked, and after some Internet searches, he was apprehended.

There is certainly a lot of good in Jameson, and the documentary is quick to show it. However, it is also quick to show the outcome of his actions, and the lives and thoughts of his victims' loved ones. Killer Poet portrays all the opinions and never fully lands on one side. The only thing Gray and this doc are determined to show is that Jameson is not a completely terrible man, and has done a lot of good for a lot of people.

This is the documentary's strength. Through the myriad pieces of the story and Porter's recitation of his poetry, the film doesn't challenge you to come up with a finite opinion; it would be very hard to do so. All it challenges you to do is rethink your own assumptions, opening your eyes to the other stories and pieces of the puzzle. One man talks of Porter as a manipulator, while others describe the many ways he went overboard to help someone. It's a constant back and forth that never ends because it really can't. Porter has all of these aspects within him.

Norman Porter isn't all good or bad, but just as it isn't easy to dismiss his past crimes, it isn't easy to dismiss his recent actions. Yet there is even more confusion in this story; there are questions as to whether Porter was actually the man who killed Pigott, and just how much he should be punished for his involved in these cases and his escape from prison. But that confusion is okay; it's the essence of the film. Killer Poet allows you to experience all sides of the story, and open your eyes to the many shades of grey.

Tags: Cinematical, Hot Docs, Hot Docs 2008, Hot Docs 2008 reviews, HotDocs, HotDocs2008, HotDocs2008Reviews, JJ Jameson, JjJameson, Killer Poet, KillerPoet, Norman Porter, NormanPorter, Susan Gray, SusanGray