The first trailer for Werner Herzog’s Into the Abyss has been released. In the documentary, Herzog examines the issues surrounding the death penalty and interviews death row inmates, police officers, and victims’ family members. Judging from the trailer, the pic looks like an incredibly hard watch. It’s cold, somber, and confronting. The quotes given throughout the trailer from the likes of Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott make me eager to see what kind of film Herzog has put together, as it's sure to be unlike any conventional documentary covering the death penalty.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film opens November 11th.

Click over to Apple to watch in HD.

Here’s the synopsis:

Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog (CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, GRIZZLY MAN) returns with INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE, a riveting examination of a horrible crime which probes the human psyche to explore why people kill–and why the state kills. In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (who was scheduled to die eight days after his interview with Herzog), the filmmaker achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul.” As he’s so often done before, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory.

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