

Artists cannot hold themselves hostage to the possibility that defectives might misuse their work.
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However, if you leave out everything that might inspire a nut, you don't have a movie left-or a free society, either. But to a twisted mind, their secret meetings and corn-pone rituals might be appealing.

One might also ask if Grisham forfeits his right to moral superiority by including a subplot in “A Time to Kill” that gives the Ku Klux Klan prominence and a certain degenerate glamor. But one might reasonably ask whether the creeps would have committed the murder without taking the drugs. Well, Grisham is a lawyer, and lawyers exist to file suits. Stone should be sued by the victim's family, Grisham said, offering the theory that “NBK” was to blame under product-liability laws. Grisham recently attacked director Oliver Stone, alleging that Stone's “ Natural Born Killers” inspired drugged-out creeps to murder a friend of Grisham's. This is the best of the film versions of Grisham novels, I think, and it has been directed with skill by Joel Schumacher.īut as I watched the film, other thoughts intruded. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey, the avenging father, and Matthew McConaughey as Jake Brigance, the lawyer. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization with which he might be associated.I was absorbed by “A Time to Kill,” and found the performances strong and convincing, especially the work by Samuel L. It will leave the audience with an aftertaste of justice in their mouths and questions in their minds. At the heart of this, the story is about the importance of civil rights and dangers of unchecked social privileges.Ī spectacularly entertaining movie made believable with impeccable acting and brilliant direction.
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The main idea being, “will a black man receive a fair trial in the south?” was a recurring theme through out the movie and in a broader context can easily be applied to societies where socio-legal discrimination is still prevalent against racial/religious minorities. This divide between law and justice has been a bone of contention among jurists for thousands of years and this movie adds yet another take on the age old debate. While the purpose of law is to establish justice in a society, in practice this purpose is usually ignored in favor of what has already been defined (law). The distinction between justice and deciding matters in accordance with the law, is maintained throughout the movie. The idea that courts are a medium through which justice must be dispensed is reinforced and packaged in an emotionally charged tale of a helpless father. Can someone be allowed to take the law into their own hands? Is there any justification for vigilantism in a jural society? Joel Schumacher’s careful treatment of these sensitive issues present a compelling case for vigilante justice, but scholars of law are bound to disagree with the methods of Carl Lee Hailey. Grisham’s unapologetic depiction of vigilante justice as a brutal consequence of distrust in the justice system may resonate with some people but it also poses a legal and moral conundrum. The relentless and untiring determination towards his commitment to seek justice is a lesson for all the young and aspiring lawyers. Mathew McConaughey was convincingly solid as Jake Brigance, a young, sharp and witty but inexperienced defense lawyer. Samuel L Jackson gave a memorable performance playing Carl Lee Hailey, the avenging father who had killed the rapists in broad day light because he lacked faith in the justice system. The ensemble cast with heavyweights like Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Samuel L Jackson and Mathew McConaughey in the lead add a certain gravitas to the movie and ensure that you are glued to your seat from the very first scene. Themes like vigilantism, racial discrimination and lack of faith in the judicial system, were skillfully dealt by veteran director Joel Schumacher.

The movie is about an African American man convicted of murdering two white men, who had raped his daughter, and almost killed her and his defense lawyer, who goes against all odds to save him from the death penalty. It is one of those rare movies that actually turned out to be better than the book it was based on. A Time To Kill is a compelling and tense legal thriller based on John Grisham’s first novel.
