Documentary Emily Griffin

Over spring break I watched a movie that premiered on Lifetime called “Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story.” (Crime shows are one of my guilty pleasures.) However, after watching this movie, I was very intrigued and decided to watch a documentary on the main character Christopher Porco, entitled “Memory of Murder.” The documentary tells the story of Chris Porco and how his parents were brutally attacked with only his mother surviving. The film goes into depth about what took place, the people that were involved, the trial that ensued, etc. It is clearly argued throughout the entirety of the film that Chris Porco was the one who murdered his father and attempted to murder his mother. The documentary encompasses a variety of strategies to convince the audience of this claim. First off, it establishes that once the police found his mother, who was still coherent, they questioned if Chris had done this to her and she responded by nodding her head up and down. In addition, the film appeals to ethos by bringing in a copious amount of other evidence pointing to Chris as being the killer. Detectives and police officers who were there speak on the documentary, along with forensic analysts and family members/friends which enhances credibility. The documentary also appeals to the audience’s emotions by displaying gruesome pictures of the crime and old family photos. The film is set up chronologically, so it begins with the murder, then proceeds up until the trial where Chris is found guilty. Overall, I am very convinced of the film’s argument. All of the evidence indicates that Chris is the one who committed the crime. If Chris Porco did not kill his father and attempt to murder his mother, then someone did a very good job at setting him up to look like he did.