Film Report A Time To Kill Sleepers An Eye For An Eye Essay
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THEME: Vigilante Justice
1.0 HYPOTHESISMovies involving violent crime often position the viewer to sympathise with the victim who enacts the revenge by killing, thus establishing the premise that revenge killing is justified.
2.0 SYNOPSIS2.1 The way society views vigilante justice and the ideology that it is acceptable are the primary issues in three of the following American films, A Time To Kill, Sleepers and Eye For An Eye. These three films were tested in comparison with the hypothesis that states that the viewer is positioned to accept the revenge killing, thus establishing a premise that vigilante activity is justified. In A Time To Kill, a black father Carl Lee Hailey, is put on trial after murdering the two white men who brutally attacked and raped his daughter. Hailey's lawyer, Jake Brigance, through his incredible "story telling" ability, is able to convince the jury to reach a "not guilty" verdict. This outcome seems to support the idea that the murders are acceptable, therefore insinuating a sense of justice, when in reality yet another injustice has occurred.
2.2 The killing of Sean Nokes in Sleepers is a perfect example of revenge being carried out in cold-blooded murder. The movie unfolds the dreadful story of four boys' lives and the abuse they incurred at the Wilkinson Home for boys under Sean Nokes command. Now men, and at the crossroads of life, two of them murder the guard in a bar, promoting the act of revenge killing as being equitable.
2.3 Eye For An Eye is a film that establishes the premise that the legal system often fails, which consequently creates a situation that implores justice to be served in an illegal manner. Perhaps, it could be considered the most disturbing example of vigilante justice as both the sociopathic killer and victim's vengeful mum are engaged in a dangerous game of provocation, intimidation and retaliation.
2.4 The issue of vigilantism in each of the three movies has proven the hypothesis to be true, with each of the films positioning the viewer to accept the killing and to sympathise with the victim as if they are the only wronged party. The philosophy that says revenge killing is a form of justice is constantly depicted to society through films such as the above. However, in essence the film makers carry an unseen responsibility to the viewer to unveil the moral issues that arise in modern films. A greater effort at presenting the moral problems faced by parties in films that deal with vigilantism would create a more genuine assessment and capture the seriousness faced in real life situations. Yet apart from this, it seems that film makers have neglected to show the real pain and suffering the surrounding family members and the person that enacts the revenge killing experience. Therefore, a greater emphasis should be placed on the issues encompassing the killing to portray a more realistic view.
3.0 INTRODUCTION3.1 Vigilantism is often a sign of public frustration in society today. This indicates to the vast majority, that the police and courts have failed to deliver security and justice and therefore perhaps cannot be relied upon in the public's mind. This is the reason certain people groups in society choose to place their trust in vigilantism. Yet, these are often the same people who are in favour of democracy and strive to achieve a greater sense of equality among all. Eradicating vigilante movements once they are established is never easy, however it seems that films and film makers are doing little to hinder the growing movement by advocating the idea that revenge killing is acceptable, instead of encouraging society to trust the judicial system.
3.2 The hypothesis, " movies involving violent crime often position the viewer to sympathise with the victim who enacts the revenge by killing, thus establishing the premise that revenge killing is justified" was examined against three modern and fairy successful films. A Time To Kill, Sleepers and Eye For An Eye all confront the issue of revenge killing, which encourages society to question the legal system and place the mantel of justice solely on the individual.
4.0 FILM A Time To Kill4.1 A Time To Kill, based on the novel by John Grisham, is directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Warner Bros. America. Set in a southern Mississippi town where racial tension runs high throughout community, A Time To Kill defines its perspective in bold strokes and without subtlety. The audience is immediately drawn into the story by the graphic presentation of two scofflaws joy-riding in their pickup truck, drunk and out of control. They harass employees at a black country store and then attack a ten-year old girl and brutally rape, beat and leave her to die. The girl's father Carl Lee Hailey (played by Samuel L. Jackson), takes justice into his own hands and in an act of calculated rage guns down the culprits in full view of dozens of witnesses in the courthouse where they are to be arraigned for the crime.
4.2 With the help of his white lawyer Jake Brigance (played by Matthew McConaughey), Hailey is found "not guilty" because of Jake's emotional, theatrical performance. The little girl's horrendous plight is described in detail in the first moment of the defenses' summation, however it is only at the end of the speech that Brigance suggests that colour may have something to do with the impending verdict. Although this is hardly the traditional summation, since it has little to do with the evidence presented at the trial, it clearly demonstrates the objectives of the film makers who are deliberately increasing the dramatic pressure so that the audience has no choice but to cheer for the verdict of "not guilty" at the end.
4.3 A Time To Kill is a perfect example where the viewer is positioned to accept the murders of the two white boys as being totally in line with justice. Enhanced by the graphic and fast-flicking cinematography at the beginning of the film, the rape of Tanya Hailey is magnified to penetrate the natural human desire that sympathises with a victim of sexual abuse; especially a ten year old girl. The effect of these images is to position the audience to accept the ideology that vigilante justice is more effective than court procedures even though any rational person would not choose such a social order over the judicial system.
4.4 The film covers a vast array of characters ranging from the chauvinistic rapists to the exemplary and almost perfect Jake Brigance. While most of the characters are nicely etched out and the audience feels apart of their lives, the movie seems to present issues to the audience without actually resolving them. For example, there are frightening KKK scenes that bring out the powerful weirdness and danger of racism, but that do not seem to amount to much in the conclusion. Relationship problems between characters were not dealt with, rather left 'hanging' or they culminate in a way that can only be described as surreal.
4.5 While A Time To Kill may not convince an audience well versed in the verbal maneuvering of a David Kelley drama series, however director Joel Schumacher successfully achieved the idea that revenge killing is justified. Although this premise does not seem just or rational, A Time To Kill on an emotive level advocates this, thus establishing a relationship between justice and murder that in the subconscious may seem acceptable though is not deemed so in modern society.
5.0 FILM Sleepers5.1 Adapted from the novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra, Sleepers is a 1996 film produced by PolyGram/ Propaganda Films/ Baltimore Pictures and directed by Barry Levinson. Sleepers unfolds a dark, real-life fairy tale about friendship and how the human soul deals with torture and traumatic experiences. Set...
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