The Stoning of Soraya M -- a movie

Click HERE
For brief background, see HERE
Here's a movie depicting the disturbing scene of public stoning to death under the syariah law....
if u have no patience, go straight to 1:25:00 for the climactic scene.
Note that this movie is based on a book, which is in turn apparently based on a real story in Iran. Given this, do you think the stoning scene is more effective in words within a book, or in a visual scene of the movie? Which is more likely to impact one's mind and rouse one to action? More importantly for the Qn 5 below, WHY?

Do note that the movie-maker here is not condemning Islam; rather, he is trying to put forth the point that it is man who has demonized the religion for his own ends, using the Muslim God as an excuse for his own selfish agenda.

Qns:
1) To what extent should we show compassion for the criminal?
2) Is the death penalty still justifiable in today's society?

3) ‘Any adaptation of a novel for film, television or the theatre is never as effective as the original’. Discuss. (Cam. 2016)

4) To what extent should the arts in your society focus on local rather than foreign talent? (Cam. 2015)

5) Do films offer anything more than an escape from reality? (Cam. 2014)