John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

As Episode 1 of "John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial" (2023 release; 3 episodes ranging from 36 to 41 min) opens, it is December 8, 1980, and the news is spreading that John Lennon has been shot. We then go back in time to the late 1970s, when Lennon had retreated from the public eye, focusing all of his attention to Yoko and their son Sean. But Lennon finds a new spark in 1980 and is ready for the next chapter in his life. On December 8, 1980, he sits down in his Dakota condo for an interview with a reporter from RKO... At this point we are 10 minutes into the 1st episode.

Couple of comments: this documentary is a curious affair on many levels. To be clear: it does not intend or pretend to shed any insight on John Lennon the musician. This simply reassesses what led to the murder of Lennon, and the fallout from it. Episode 1 "The Last Day" offers no new insights. Episode 2 "The Investigation" focuses on how the NYPD handled the murder case, and we get to hear from some of the people that were on the scene , including the concierge, the porter, a taxi driver, the first responders, etc. Episode 3 "The Trial" focuses on how Mark Chapman and his legal team prepared for the trial, and the aftermath. It is incomprehensible to me how the title of this mini-series refers to "murder without a trial" when in fact there was a trial (even if it was just a short one) and the 3rd episode is called "The Trial". That aside, the overall sense of this documentary is ones of questionable quality. The discussion of various conspiracy theories (none proven, of course) that somehow the US government may have been involved reeks of shameless sensationalism.

"John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial" recently started streaming on Apple TV. As a lifelong Beatles fan, curiosity got the better of me. I shouldn't have bothered. This documentary is currently rated a mere 50% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. Of course don't take my word for it, so if you are a fan of the Beatles or of John Lennon, please check it out (I might suggest with lowered expectations), and draw your own conclusion.

There were so many books written about Lennon that the average fan will not learn much ;even the subject of a political murder was mooted shortly after the tragedy : Fenton Bressler ,a practising barrister ,even released "the murder of John Lennon" in 1989.

But Lennon buffs should not miss this three-episode miniseries : the main interest is to have gathered all the main witnesses and to have them search their memories and tell how the tragedy occured : the concierge of the Dakota, the taxi driver, the policeman who arrived first on the place, the doctor who tried to save the singer , a nurse and producer Jack Douglas (I had never seen the scene when he and his wife try to enter the hospital ) Much time is given over to mourning of the fans , the murderer's wife and the famous "catcher in the rye" ; as for the slayer ,his motive was probably to attract the attention ,like the murder attempt on Ronald Reagan mentioned here. Lennon remains,along McCartney ,my favorite rock artist.

This documentary does a good job of portraying the events surrounding John Lennon's murder. The interviews with witnesses and other people directly involved in the case are insightful and well done. It also presents worthwhile video and audio from the era in order to provide context and texture.

The show also spends a considerable amount of time on John's killer, which is harder to stomach. Some of this material is actually useful to the extent that it establishes his motive and state of mind. There's also background about his upbringing and life before the murder, which I mostly skipped past. The question of whether he was sane at the time of the killing is addressed in detail, but ultimately doesn't make much difference.

Unfortunately, the documentary also indulges in some utterly irresponsible speculation about the possibility of government involvement in the killing. This unfounded conspiracy theory goes nowhere and adds nothing to the story. I'm honestly a bit surprised that Apple would even allow it on their air.

Interesting recap of the Lennon murder with interviews of the people who were actually on scene. The now retired cops sound real and seem out of central casting. The CIA and FBI are brought into it but doesn't really go anywhere with that line so the end focus is on the sentencing and parole hearings. Parallel to the Hinckley trial and eventual release is made, kind of a progressive view which probably makes some sense here. If Chapman is no longer being punished and the public safety is not at risk why keep him in jail 43 years later? At some point he should do like Red in Shawshank and give up on parole, then it will happen.

There are some moments in this documentary that will be new and insightful for even the hardcore Beatles fan like myself who has seen pretty much everything there is to see regarding this tragedy. The extensive use of archival footage was also great and well put-together.

It definitely could have been longer, however. Despite it being in three parts there were sections that would have benefited from diving a little deeper into and elaborating on from a storytelling perspective. There is also more archival footage out there that could have been included. I get the feeling however certain things were intentionally glossed over, lightly touched-on and/or omitted due to this still being a sensitive subject for many all these years later.

The sensitive nature of the subject also means it will get it's share of negative reviews, with people feeling it's exploitive or disrespectful, angry at the mere acknowledgement of Mark David Chapman. Outside of that mentality however, it's definitely worth a watch. I personally believe a real good job was done in remaining respectful whilst still making the series quite captivating for the viewer.