But there was another side to the story. As the case dragged on, many international forensics experts criticized the conduct of the police and the sloppy handling of the DNA evidence. Ultimately, prosecutors railroaded Knox.
She was unjustly convicted through a combination of anti-American prejudice, puritanical spite, and bureaucratic incompetence. At least, that’s how creator-writer K.J. Steinberg and a battery of co-writers present the case in the eight-part “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” starring Grace Van Patten as Knox.
Roommate’s Murder
Knox’s flat-mate, Meredith Kercher (Rhianne Barreto) was murdered. This point nobody disputes. However, the nature of the roomates’ relationship remains open to debate. Clearly, Steinberg and company imply the socially awkward yet outgoing Knox might have considered her a closer friend than Kercher did.This immediately prompts consideration of the series’s greatest shortcoming. There is the almost complete absence of Kercher’s perspective and that of her surviving family.
It’s obvious from the start that “The Twisted Tale” will only be told from Knox’s point-of-view. Her memoir serves as the prime source material. Knox herself has an executive producer credit (as does former Clinton administration intern Monica Lewinsky).
Yet, Knox’s side of the story has been largely vindicated by the European Court of Human Rights. It will be a long run for Knox to get to that point, encompassing many trials and a constant media feeding frenzy.
Unjust Questioning
Early installments explicitly show how the police of Perugia, Italy deliberately capitalized on Knox’s spotty command of Italian to keep her confused and isolated. Italy formally adopted a rough equivalent of American Miranda rights (coincidentally) in 2007, but Detective Superintendent Monica Napoleoni (Roberta Mattei) never observed those rights during her interrogations of Knox.Steinberg’s presentation of the Knox case also critiques the structure of the Italian justice system. Prosecutors direct the investigation right from the start, rather than waiting for the police to present their findings as they do under the American system.
For the Kercher murder, prosecutor Giuliano Mignini (Francesco Acquaroli) deliberately directs Napoleoni to focus on Knox as a suspect. This excludes other possible theories, even when forensic evidence starts to contradict this theory.
A Daring Performance
Van Patten (the niece of “Eight is Enough” star Dick Van Patten) gives a remarkably bold performance as the titular Knox. It fully captures her clumsy lack of sophistication and somewhat off-putting quirkiness. Perhaps most importantly, she looks like a naïve young woman not nearly mature enough to be considered an adult, which makes the abuse and scorn she suffers very difficult to watch.Sharon Horgan viscerally expresses the fear and anguish of Knox’s mother, Edda Mellas. Mellas remarried and their different surnames cause needless complications. In contrast, Giuseppe De Domenico’s portrayal of Knox’s luckless boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, seems rather passive and aloof.
As perhaps the only character not completely pigeonholed, Mignini is invested with tragic gravitas and brooding dignity, which elevates him above and beyond a Javert-like cliché. Mattei portrays detective Napoleoni with cold, calculating ruthlessness.
Indeed, few Italian characters show any sympathy towards Knox in “Twisted Tale,” which inevitably leads viewers to feel manipulated. However, Don Saulo Scarabattoli (Alfredo Pea), the Perugia prison chaplain, stands out as a significant exception. Alfredo Pea nicely embodies the warmth and compassion that made the good priest such a comfort to Knox during her incarceration.
There are a lot of clear lessons to take away from Knox’s story. In a situation where Americans find themselves in a legal entanglement abroad, even if only tangentially, they should say nothing until they consult with the embassy. This simple advice might have saved Knox a good deal of hardship.
Steinberg and the co-writers compile a compelling indictment of the Perugia police and prosecutors. The courtroom confrontations crackle with tension and righteous outrage. A good deal of the Knox-Mellas family scenes, on the other hand, are bogged down with soap-opera-level melodrama. Mostly recommended for true crime fans.
