For my son, when he grows up, this site will be my legacy for him. The decisions his mother and I made for him, to understand them, to learn from them and to lead a life without prejudice and to succeed in it on his own merit.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Murder in the First

I like to share this with everyone in Malaysia on the current climate that is upon us now.

Murder in the First, was and still is one of my all time favourite movie. Produced in 1995, it starred Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon and the devilish Gary Oldman. So intrigue by this movie, that I scouted around town looking for the DVD and after almost a year, finally found it in BSC. This movie did not last long at the cinema, apparently boring for the general audience who craved for action stuff. After having to wait for another 2 months to have it ship in from the US, paying RM160 for it, this show never ceased to inspires me each time I watch it.
The story line goes as follows:-

A group of convicts failed in their attempt to escape from Alcatraz (the rock) during the depression era of 1930's. All killed except for two convicts. One was thrown back in jail and put in solitary confinement, he's Henri Young (Kevin Bacon). The other was allegedly the informant who betrayed them and was put back in the general population of the prison with no charges made.

Solitary confinement, with no contact with any other human beings and no or little lights in the cell. 3 years 2 months later, Henri Young was released from the cell into the general prison to continue his sentence. Washed up and shave cleaned, takened to the canteen and his first action was to take out the one who betray his escape. Killing the betrayer with a spoon in front of hundreds of inmates including the guards. Looks like a simple open and shut case in the assessment of the authority.

James Stamphill (Christian Slater), a young attorney tasked with the case of defending Henri Young, considered by many as a "monkey" case due to the over whelming evidence, had a different perception.

"The only problem that will keep us from wrapping up this case in record time, is they have not caught any of the co-conspirators, because Henri Young is only the weapon". His opening statement to the jurors and judge. With this, he literally put the whole institution of Alcatraz, the warden and the system on trial.

The message of the movie was very clear from the beginning. A supposingly minor criminal, due to the system and the punishment vetted on him, became even more diluted and disillusioned with life. The very system imposed on him that created more resentment than it is to rehabilitate oneself.

The court scenes, are the ones to watch out for. Stamphill questioning the methods and inhuman ways the prison associate warden Milton Glenn (Gary Oldman) and warden James Humson (Stefan Gierasch) and the effects of indefinite solitary confinement endured by Henri Young.

"We aim to make him a better self". Proclaimed warden James Humson.

"The prison runs under your guidelines, so you created the murderer, didn't you? Didn't you!!!!! Stamphill controlling the witness and going in for the final kill.

On the day of judgement, the jury deliberate. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Henri Young not guilty of first-degree murder and guilty only of involuntary manslaughter."


The jury further address the court. "Though we know it will have no legal or binding effect, we'd hope that it will have a moral effect. We the members of the jury, recommend the immediate investigation by the proper authority of the federal penitentiary known as Alcatraz."
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Based on factual events of the Alcatraz, this prison was closed forever in 1963.
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Maybe we all should get this DVD, watch it and see how a system will cause more problems than it is solving them.







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