12 Angry Men

It's understandable that the idea of being tangled in the American court system is a less than comforting thought. The jury system is ideally designed to have your fate decided by your peers. Peers is a relative term though, meaning people chosen by random selection of any possible background, personalities, and outlooks. The idea of a jury systemoffers the potential for justice, but a terrifying possibility for justice being diverted.

"12 Angry Men" starts out after the case has concluded, the case being one of first degree murder, a Puerto Rican boy accused of killing his father. The Judge instructs the jurors:
"You've listened to a long and complex case, murder in the first degree. Premeditated murder is the most serious charge tried in our criminal courts. You've listened to the testimony, you've had the law read to you and interpreted as it applies in this case, it's now your duty to sit down and try to separate the facts from the fancy. One man is dead, another man's life is at stake, if there's a reasonable doubt in your minds as to the guilt of the accused, uh a reasonable doubt, then you must bring me a verdict of "Not Guilty". If, however, there's no reasonable doubt, then you must, in good conscience, find the accused "Guilty". However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event that you find the accused "Guilty", the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case. You're faced with a grave responsibility, thank you, gentlemen."

The Jury settles into the jury room to discuss the verdict. They start to get acquainted, making conversation. Juror #6 (Edward Binns) struggles to open one of the windows, getting some help from Juror #7 (Jack Warden) who informs them that this will be "the hottest day of the year." A guard checks them off and tells them he'll be outside if they need anything. They all take notice when he locks them in. The foreman, Juror #1 (Martin Balsam)starts making ballots so they can vote, as the rest of them discuss the case amongst each other. Juror #2 (John Fiedler) mentions that he found it interesting as he's never served in a jury before, prompting Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb) to tell him that he's served on many of them, adding: "What gets me is the way those lawyers talk and talk and talk, even when it's an open and shut case like this one. I mean, did you ever hear so much talk about nothing?"
Juror #2: Well, I guess they're entitled.
Juror #3: They're entitled. It's the system, but if you ask me, I'd slap those tough kids down before they start any trouble.

Juror #1 calls them to the table and hands out ballots. Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) stands alone at the window, until he's joined by Juror #12, (Robert Webber) who tells him that "they were lucky to get a murder case." remarking that minor cases can be "the dullest."  Juror #7 and Juror #10 (Ed Begley)  talk about some points of the case at the table, attracting 8 and 10's attention. Juror #7 starts getting impatient, demanding the foreman get things going. They have to wait for a juror who is in the bathroom. Juror #3 asks Juror #4 (E.G. Marshall) about the newspaper he's reading. Juror 4 reveals that he's a broker, checking the stock market, this prompts Juror 3 to brag about the courier business he owns that he "started with nothing."

Juror #1 calls everyone to the table, prompting Juror #7 to remark that he'd like to get out quickly, as he has tickets to a ball game tonight. They agree to sit around the table in order of their jury numbers. Juror #12 tells Juror #11 (George Voskovec) enthusiastically that he was impressed with the prosecutor. Eleven answers, having some difficulty with English, that he thought he "did an expert job." Juror #8 is the last to sit down, having to be called away from his thoughts at the window. As he sits down, Juror #10 is already talking as if the kid is guilty. They still have to knock on the door to get the last and eldest juror, Juror #9 (Joseph Sweeney) out of the bathroom. While they wait, Juror #7 asks Juror #5 (Jack Klugman) if he's a Yankees fan, giving him a hard time when he reveals he actually likes Baltimore.

Juror #1 tells them that they can handle it how they like, but suggests taking a vote as an idea. They agree to take a preliminary vote. Juror #7 adds, "Who knows, maybe we can all get out of here." still anxious to catch his game. Juror #1 reminds them that a guilty vote sends the kid to the chair. Juror #1 asks for a show of hands for those voting guilty, which results in eleven votes, with only Juror #8 voting Not Guilty. Juror #10 remarks smugly, "Boy oh boy, there's always one!" When Juror #7 asks what they do next, Juror #8 suggests that they talk. Juror #3 asks Juror #8, "Do you really think he's innocent?" Juror 8 says he doesn't know.
Juror#3: You sat in court with the rest of us. You heard what we did. The kid's a dangerous killer. You could see it.
Juror #8: He's eighteen years old!
Juror #3: Well that's old enough. He stabbed his own father four inches into the chest. They proved it a dozen different ways in court. Would you like me to list them for you?
Juror#8: No.
Juror #10 Then what do you want?
Juror #8: I just want to talk.
Juror #7: Well what's there to talk about? Eleven men in here think he's guilty. No one had to think twice about it, except you.
Juror#7 questions him about voting not guilty, when he reveals that he doesn't necessarily believe the kid's story himself. Juror #8 tells him that there were already eleven guilty votes, and it wasn't easy to add his hand knowing it would send the kid off to die. Juror #7 assures him that it wasn't easy for him either, and he only voted guilty so quickly because he's convinced of the kid's guilt. Juror # 8 says "We're talking about somebody's life here.  We can't decide in five minutes. Supposing we're wrong?" Juror #8 suggests that they take an hour to discuss it, smartly pointing out that Juror #7 could still make his ball game.They agree to sit for an hour, and #10, offers to tell them "a great story he heard last night." This angers Juror #8 who says "That's not why we're sitting here!"
Juror #10: All right, then you tell me. What are we sitting here for?
Juror #8: Look this kid's been kicked around all of his life. You know, born in a slum, mother dead since he was nine. He lived for a year and a half in an orphanage when his father was serving a jail term for forgery. That's not a very happy beginning. He's a wild angry kid, that's all he's ever been. And, you know why? Because he's been hit on the head by somebody, once a day, every day. He's had a pretty miserable 18 years. I just think we owe him a few words, that's all.
Juror#10: I don't mind telling you this mister. We don't owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn't he? What do you think that trial cost? He's lucky he got it. Know what I mean?
He launches into a tirade about Puerto Ricans, calling them born liars. This prompts Juror #9 to stand up and tell Juror #10 that "only an ignorant man can believe that." and asking Juror #10 "Do you think you were born with a monopoly on the truth?"Juror #1 interrupts, calming them down. He asks Juror #8 to explain his reasoning, so that they can help find why "he's all mixed up."

Juror #12 suggests that it's up to the 11 of them to convince him that they're right. Juror 1 likes the idea and proposes that they go around the table to do that. Juror #2, "just thinks he's guilty" and nobody proved otherwise. Juror #8 reminds him that they shouldn't have to as the burden of proof goes the other way. Juror #3 recounts the "facts" of the case, leaning on a neighbor's testimony as presented in court. Juror #4 doesn't believe the kid's story that he was at the movies during the killing because he couldn't remember the name of the movie he saw. Jurors 10 and 11 chime in at that, talking about an eyewitness. Juror #10, gets out of his seat, recounting her story and the circumstances. Juror # 8 asks him why he believes her story and not the kid's considering that the woman was "one of them too." Juror #10 gets angry at the smart rebuttal.

Juror #5 looks nervous and elects to pass on his turn. Juror #6 explains that he was looking for a motive, and that eyewitness accounts of an argument between the boy and his father helped provide it for him.Juror #8, doesn't buy a couple slaps in the face as enough of a motive, considering the boy got slapped every day. Juror #7 brings up the boy's criminal history. This causes Juror #3 to start talking about "kids today" which leads him into a story about his own kid, and a fight they had, and the fact that they haven't spoken in years. Juror #4 assets that kids from slum backgrounds are menaces to society, which Juror #10 is quick to agree with. Juror #5 decides to speak up at this point, telling them that he's lived in a slum all his life and played in "the backyards filled with garbage." He challenges Juror #10 by saying "Maybe you can still smell it on me." Juror #1 mistakenly calls on Juror #8, although they had agreed that it was only the rest of them trying to convince him. Juror #1 gets offended when they stop him from correcting his mistake, offering the foreman position to Juror #10 and Juror #12, before they calm him down. Juror #8 gives his take:
Juror# 8: According to the testimony, the boy looks guilty... maybe he is. I sat there in court for six days listening while the evidence built up. Everybody sounded so positive, you know, I... I began to get a peculiar feeling about this trial. I mean nothing is that positive. There're a lot of questions I'd have liked to ask. I don't know, maybe they wouldn't have meant anything, but... I began to get the feeling that the defense counsel wasn't conducting a thorough enough cross-examination. I mean he... he let too many things go by... little things that...
Juror #10: What little things? Listen, when these fellas don't ask questions it's because they know the answers already and they figure they'll be hurt.
Juror #8: Maybe. It's also possible for a lawyer to be just plain stupid, isn't it? I mean it's possible.
Juror #7: You sound like you met my brother-in-law.
Juror #8 also point out that the eyewitnesses could possibly be mistaken, and then they start discussing the knife that was considered the murder weapon. Juror: 4 attempts to point out the impossibility of the boy dropping the knife as he claimed on the stand and then having it picked up by the killer. Juror #4 points out that it's an unusual knife, dramatically sticking it into the table, claiming someone having a similar knife isn't possible. Juror #3 agrees that it isn't possible. Juror #8 then produces his own identical knife, telling them that he went for a walk in the boy's neighborhood and bought it for $6.00.


Juror #7 starts getting bothered by the time they're spending, and Juror #10 gets agitated as well, but it's clear that the the knife has caused some doubts among the rest of them. Juror #8 offers to let them take a new vote by secret ballot, which he'll abstain from. If they all still vote guilty, he'll side with them rather than stand alone, but if anyone else votes not guilty, they stay and discuss it. The vote turns up another not guilty vote. Juror #3 attacks Juror #5 claiming that he knows it was him who voted not guilty. They nearly get into a fight, and Juror #3 is angry that Juror #8 is keeping them from "sending a guilty man to the chair where he belongs." He asks Juror #5 what made him change his vote when Juror #9 reveals that it was he who changed his vote. Juror's   and 10 don't want to hear what changed his mind, but he insists on telling them anyway. He reveals that he voted not guilty out of respect to Juror #8, and the difficulty he must have had standing alone against them. He states that he still thinks that the boy is probably guilty, but wants to hear more. Juror #7 is disgusted, and leaves the room. When Juror #9 yells that he can't leave, Juror #8 stops him, saying "He can't hear you, and probably never will." Juror #1 suggests a break until Juror #7 returns from the bathroom. Juror #12 starts talking about himself and the advertising business, to Juror #11 who reveals that he is a watchmaker.

Juror #3 apologizes to Juror #5, and tells him he's glad that he's not "one of those who lets these emotional appeals influence him." Juror #5 doesn't acknowledge this. Juror #8, joins Juror #7 in the bathroom. Juror #7 asks if he's a salesman, (Juror #8 responds that he's an architect) telling him that he really has the "soft sell" down. He urges Juror #8 to come around and decide he's guilty. Juror # 6 also visits the bathroom, taking the opportunity to try to convince Juror #8 as well. Juror #8 asks him to suppose it was him on trial.
Juror #6: Well, I'm not used to supposin'. I'm just a workin' man. My boss does all the supposin' - but I'll try one. Supposin' you talk us all out of this and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?

They reconvene at the table. This time they start focusing on the witnesses. Juror #4 points out the facts and Juror #8 starts discussing them, interrupting himself when he sees Jurors 3 and 12 playing tic tac toe across the table. He grabs their paper off the table and declares "this isn't a game!" He points out that combining the witnesses accounts, a woman who saw the murder through a passing El train and a downstairs neighbor who only overheard the commotion, it's unlikely that both are reliable, because being that close to the El train, would've made it too noisy to hear a body hit the floor. Juror #3 has another outburst saying "you're talking about a matter of seconds! Nobody can be that accurate." Juror #8 responds "Well, I think testimony that could put a boy in the electric chair should be that accurate." Jurors 5 and 6 start considering this. Juror #3 gets upset when Juror #9 suggests that the witness could have lied to get attention. Juror #6 gets angry with Juror #3 for his tome talking to the old man, and threatens to "lay him out" if he does it again. Juror #9 goes on about the witnesses motives describing him:
 "The seam of his jacket was split under the shoulder...to come to court like that...He was a very old man in a torn jacket and he walked very slowly to the stand. He was dragging his left leg and trying to hide it because he was ashamed. I think I know this man better than anyone here. This is a quiet, frightened, insignificant old man who has been nothing all his life - who has never had recognition - or his name in the newspapers. Nobody knows him. Nobody quotes him. Nobody seeks his advice after seventy-five years. Gentlemen, that's a very sad thing to be nothing. A man like this needs to be quoted, to be listened to, to be quoted just once - very important to him...He wouldn't really lie. But perhaps he made himself believe that he heard those words and recognized the boy's face."

Juror #8 then talks about the phrase "I'm gonna kill you!" claiming the kid was too bright to yell this out in front of the whole neighborhood if he was planning to do that. Juror #10 interjects "Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English!"
Juror #11 (The European immigrant) corrects him "He doesn't even speak good English."
Juror #5 then tells the foreman he'd like to change his vote to not guilty. Juror #3 acts shocked, but he sticks to his guns, leaving the vote at 9 to 3. Juror #7 isn't pleased, likening Juror #8's story to a detective novel, pointing out that the kid's own lawyer looked like he thought the kid was guilty, which Juror #8 points out as a problem for the case, not any indicator of guilt.
Juror # 11 asks to read his notes, stating that he sees some of Juror #8's points. Juror 11 points out that the boy returning to the scene three hours later doesn't make sense.  Other jurors suggest that he wanted to recover the knife. Juror #10 has an outburst and Juror #11 changes his vote making it 8 to 4. Juror #3 starts demanding that people defend why they changed their vote, which they refuse to acknowledge. Juror #7 starts attacking Juror #8's stories again. They start questioning the old man's testimony about seeing the kid leaving the building. Juror #8 asks to see the building's floor plan to establish whether the old man with a bad leg could've run to the door in fifteen seconds, to see the boy fleeing, as he claimed he did. Juror #3 gets agitated about it, trying to diminish the importance of the old man's testimony, he says "He was an old man. Half the time he was confused! How could he be positive about anything?" We see the look on his face as what he said dawns on him. Juror #8 demonstrates with the floor plan that the old man making it to the door in that time is unlikely. Juror #8 walks the same distance that the old man would have, while being timed showing that he couldn't have done it. Juror #8 speculates that the old man didn't see the person running away but assumed it was the boy.The display seems convincing and prompts another outburst from Juror #3.

Juror # 3: Assumed? Brother, I've seen all kinds of dishonesty in my day, but this little display takes the cake. You all come in here with your hearts bleeding all over the floor about slum kids and injustice. You listen to some fairy tales. Suddenly, you start getting through to some of these old ladies. Well, you're not getting through to me. I've had enough.What's the matter with you guys? You all know he's guilty. He's got to burn. You're letting him slip through our fingers.
Juror # 8: Slip through our fingers? Are you his executioner?
Juror # 3: I'm one of 'em.
Juror # 8: Perhaps you'd like to pull the switch.
Juror # 3: For this kid? You bet I would.
Juror # 8: I feel sorry for you. What it must feel like to want to pull the switch! Ever since you walked into this room, you've been acting like a self-appointed public avenger. You want to see this boy die because you personally want it - not because of the facts. You're a sadist! (He then attempts to reach Juror #8, but they hold him back.)
Juror # 3: Let me go! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!
Juror # 8: You don't really mean you'll kill me, do you?

 
The guard checks in on the noise, but the foreman assures him they're fine. Everyone sits down quietly. Juror #11 makes a comment that they need to stop fighting. Telling them that they're not appreciating the sense of democracy, as he does, coming from a country that doesn't have it. Juror #6 suggests another vote. Juror #10 suggests an open vote, calling each juror to announce their vote. Jurors #2 and 6 change their votes, making it 6 to 6. Juror # 10 tells the "not guilty" jurors that there's something wrong with them, changing their votes for "a kid like that." Juror #9 calls him on the statement, reminding him that it's supposed to be about facts, to which Juror #10 says "I'm sick and tired of facts! You can twist them any way you want them!" Juror #9 points out that's what Juror #8 has been saying all along.
 
Juror #2 starts sticking up for himself when Jurors 7 and 10 give him a hard time about his vote. He explains that he sees room for doubt. A storm starts up outside, breaking up the heat a bit. The tension breaks in the room a bit and everyone is calmer. Juror #3 defends himself to Juror #4 saying he had no right to call him a sadist, and he lost his temper because he's "an excitable person." and #8 was "trying to bait him" Juror #4 remarks "He did an excellent job." Juror # 10 then announces that he's going to go into court and declare a hung jury, which Juror #7 agrees with. Juror #8 doesn't think the judge will accept that, but Juror #7 thinks they should try it anyway, pointing out that "this kid wouldn't stand a chance with another jury." Juror #7 declares when asked that he doesn't think there's room for reasonable doubt. Juror #11 suggests that maybe #7 doesn't understand the definition of reasonable doubt, which prompts Juror #7 to comment on #11's immigrant status, saying that "they're all alike. They come over here running for their life, and before they can take a deep breath, they're telling us how to run the show."
 
The foreman quiets them down, and Juror #8 starts discussing the boy's movie alibi, suggesting that he remembered what he saw in court, but could've forgotten at the scene of the crime because of the stress of his arrest and having his dead father in the room. Juror #8 then tests Juror #4's memory, asking about the details of the past week. Juror #4 recalls a movie he saw incorrectly. Juror #8 points out that Juror #4 wasn't under any emotional stress. Juror #2 brings up a point that's been bothering him about the angle of the stab wound. It doesn't make sense to him that the wound was a downward stroke high on the father's chest, which would have been difficult, since the father was much taller than his son.Juror # 3 offers to demonstrate with the knife, but no one volunteers to assist him. He approaches Juror #8, intending to use him as his subject, which is an interesting moment given the great tension between them. Juror #8 stands still but the other jurors all jump to their feet when he pulls back with the knife. Juror #5 reveals that he's seen knife fights and tells them that anyone who has ever used a switchblade would use it underhanded. Going around the room for opinions on the stabbing, Juror #7 says he's changing his vote to not guilty. His reasoning infuriates Juror #3 as well as Juror #11
Juror #7: I don't know about the rest of 'em but I'm gettin' a little tired of this yakity-yack and back-and-forth, it's gettin' us nowhere. So I guess I'll have to break it up; I change my vote to not guilty.
Juror #3: You what?
Juror #7: You heard me, I... had enough.
Juror #3: What do you mean you've had enough? That's no answer!
Juror #7: Hey listen, you just uh... take care of yourself, huh? You know?
Juror #11: He's right. That's not an answer. What kind of a man are you? You have sat here and voted "guilty" with everyone else because there are some baseball tickets burning a hole in your pocket? And now you've changed your vote because you say you're sick of all the talking here?
Juror #7: Now listen buddy!
Juror #11: Who tells you that you have the right like this to play with a man's life? Don't you care...
Juror #7: Now wait a minute! You can't talk like that to me!
Juror #11: I can talk like that to you! If you want to vote not guilty then do it because you are convinced the man is not guilty, not because you've had enough. And if you think he is guilty then vote that way! But don't you have the guts to do what you think is right?
Juror #7: Now listen...
Juror #11: Guilty or not guilty?
Juror #7: I told ya! Not guilty!
Juror #11: Why?
Juror #7: ...Look, I don't have to...
Juror #11: You do have to! Say it! Why?
Juror #7: Uhh... I don't uh... think he's guilty!
They take another vote by show of hands, jurors 12 and 1 both change their minds, making the vote 9 to 3. Juror #10 gives another outburst on "how they are."
Juror #10:I don't understand you people! I mean all these picky little points you keep bringing up. They don't mean nothing. You saw this kid just like I did. You're not gonna tell me you believe that phony story about losing the knife, and that business about being at the movies. Look, you know how these people lie! It's born in them! I mean what the heck? I don't have to tell you. They don't know what the truth is! And lemme tell you, they don't need any real big reason to kill someone, either! No sir!
[Juror #5 leaves the table]]
Juror #10: They get drunk... oh, they're real big drinkers, all of 'em - you know that - and bang: someone's lyin' in the gutter. Oh, nobody's blaming them for it. That's the way they are! By nature! You know what I mean? Violent!
[Juror #9 leaves the table]
Juror #10: Where're you going?
Juror #10: Human life don't mean as much to them as it does to us!
[Juror #11 leaves the table]
Juror #10: Look, they're lushing it up and fighting all the time and if somebody gets killed, so somebody gets killed! They don't care! Oh, sure, there are some good things about 'em, too. Look, I'm the first one to say that.
[Juror #8 leaves the table]
Juror #10: I've known a couple who were OK, but that's the exception, y'know what I mean?
[Jurors#2 and 6 leave the table]
Juror #10: Most of 'em, it's like they have no feelings! They can do anything! What's goin' on here? I'm trying to tell you... you're makin' a big mistake, you people! This kid is a liar! I know it. I know all about them! Listen to me! They're no good! There's not a one of 'em who is any good! I mean, what's happening in here? I'm speaking my piece, and you...
[Jurors #1 and 12 leave the table]
Juror #10: Listen to me. We're... This kid on trial here... his type, well, don't you know about them? There's a, there's a danger here. These people are dangerous. They're wild. Listen to me. Listen.
Juror #4: I have. Now sit down and don't open your mouth again.

Juror #8 then discusses the difficulty of what they're doing, taking the edge off the tirade they just endured:
"It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's sure. We nine can't understand how you three are still so sure. Maybe you can tell us."

Juror #4 acknowledges that he's made good points but his certainty is due to the woman across the street who was an eyewitness, and of her evidence, the fact that she said she saw the boy stab down with his hand over his head, which matches how the wound appeared. Juror #3 enthusiastically backs him up. Juror #4 recounts the woman's testimony and puts it back to the rest of them, giving them all pause. Juror #12 says he's going back to a guilty vote, making it 8 to 4. Juror #3 then stands up as if to take charge. Juror #11 asks him why this one vote is such a victory to him, to which Juror #3 doesn't respond, suggesting instead that he take it to the judge as a hung jury. He presents the idea to Juror #8 as "the leader of the cause" Juror #8 suggests they go over it again. Juror #3 gets upset about this saying "We've been over this again!" Juror #4 criticizes Juror #3 for trying to "turn this into a contest." This quiets Juror #3 and Juror #4 proposes setting a time limit, which Juror #7 quickly agrees with. Juror #9 notices that Juror #4 is rubbing his nose, and questions him about it. Juror #4 reveals that his nose bothers him because of his eyeglasses, and tells them that the eyewitness had the same marks from glasses on her nose, and rubbed her nose the same way, although she didn't have glasses in court.

Many of the other jurors agree with this, and Juror #4 admits that he saw the glasses marks on her nose as well. When asked by Juror #8, Juror #4 also admits that no one wears eyeglasses to bed (which is where she was when she saw the murder) Juror #8 points out that she said the murder happened "just as she looked out the window, making it unlikely that she had time to put her glasses on. Juror #3 loudly protests, stating they can't know that. Juror #8 responds that they don't have to know, but there is a doubt, as the woman would have had to see clearly without her glasses sixty feet away. Juror #3 goes so far as to claim it's not possible the woman made a mistake. Juror #8 gets up from the table and approaches Juror #12, who changes his vote back to Not Guilty. He approaches Juror #10, who is sitting in a corner away from them and asks if he thinks the boy is guilty. Juror #10 shakes his head to indicate "No." Juror #3 then says "I think he's guilty and then asks Juror #4 if he does. Juror #4 says :No. I'm convinced. Not Guilty." leaving only Juror #3. Juror #8 confronts him.
Juror #8: You're alone.
Juror #3: I don't care whether I'm alone or not! It's my right.
Juror #8: It's your right.
Juror #3: Well, what do you want? I say he's guilty.
Juror #8: We want to hear your arguments.
Juror #3: I gave you my arguments!
Juror #8: We're not convinced. We want to hear them again. We have as much time as it takes.
Juror #3: Everything... every single thing that took place in that courtroom, but I mean everything... says he's guilty. What d'ya think? I'm an idiot or somethin'? Why don'tcha take that stuff about the old man; the old man who lived there and heard every thing? Or this business about the knife! What, 'cause we found one exactly like it? The old man saw him. Right there on the stairs. What's the difference how many seconds it was? Every single thing. The knife falling through a hole in his pocket... you can't prove he didn't get to the door! Sure, you can take all the time hobblin' around the room, but you can't prove it! And what about this business with the El? And the movies! There's a phony deal if I ever heard one. I betcha five thousand dollars I'd remember the movies I saw! I'm tellin' ya: every thing that's gone on has been twisted... and turned. This business with the glasses. How do you know she didn't have 'em on? This woman testified in open court! And what about hearin' the kid yell... huh? I'm tellin' ya, I've got all the facts here...
Juror #3: [He struggles with his notebook, throws it on the table. The photo of him with his son is on top] Here... Ah. Well, that's it - that's the whole case!
[He turns towards the window. The other jurors stare at him]
Juror #3: Well... say something! You lousy bunch of bleedin' hearts. You're not goin' to intimidate me. I'm entitled to my opinion!
[He looks at the picture of his son on the table]
Juror #3: Rotten kids... you work your life out!
[He grabs the picture and tears it to pieces, realizing what he's doing]
Juror #3: No. Not guilty. Not guilty.
He completely breaks down, and Juror #1 knocks on the door to let them know the jury is ready to deliver their verdict. Juror #8 stays behind and helps Juror #3 put on his jacket. As the jurors leave the courtroom, Juror #8 is stopped by Juror #9 calling out "Hey!" He stops and Juror #9 asks "What's your name?"
Juror #8: Davis
Juror #9: My names Mcardle. Well, so long.
Juror #8: So long.

"Twelve Angry Men" is a film that many consider one of the greatest films of all time and was Oscar nominated for best picture, director and writing. This was also Director Sidney Lumet's first feature film, a fact which strikes me as astounding, given the complexity involved. To make such a powerful movie the first time out is miraculous. The idea of keeping an audience's attention on twelve men stuck in a room together talking is also a daunting task, (which was helped by some truly fine acting talent.) Lumet's technique is subtle and very effective, lowering the camera in each act and varying the lighting, to increase the sense of claustrophobia.

This is as good an example of a top notch ensemble cast as exists anywhere, although the magnetism of Henry Fonda, played against Lee J. Cobb's bitter stubbornness is the centerpiece that everyone gathers around. That being said, every juror in the room is notable in one respect or another and each man believes he is doing the right thing by his own reasoning. Each man has his own prejudices and quirks, and it's easy to see why at first glance they would all assume a guilty verdict.

While the film possibly presents a victory of the legal system, the implication is a lot less uplifting. If Henry Fonda's Juror #8 hadn't been in the room with his amazingly stubborn refusal to cave in when every other person in the room believed he was way off base, then what would have happened? Is it reasonable to expect that every jury have a Henry Fonda? I don't think so. On the other hand we can't assume that every jury will have a Juror #3, intent on a guilty verdict no matter what the facts may be. The reality is likely somewhere in between, and better represented by the jurors between the two polar opposites. Yet, if we look at the in between in this film we would definitely reach an almost instant guilty verdict.

Most of us have known people like each of the jurors and their traits are diverse enough that anyone could even find parts of themselves in each of them.
Juror #1, who tries hard to be fair, but needs to feel a sense of his own authority, which is easily threatened. Juror #2, timid and completely insecure in his own opinion. He instinctively goes along with the group.
Juror #3, so bitter, that he can't even see his own agenda, skilled at deflection and denial, so steeped in masking his real issues that he would send a man to death to take out his anger at his own son.
Juror #4, unemotional but fair, accepting only what he perceives as fact.
Juror #5, insecure and defensive about his own upbringing, and the closet thing to a "peer" the accused kid has. He's mostly reasonable, and makes up his own mind.
Juror #6, blue collar, somewhat cynical about anyone's innocence, but not maliciously so.
Juror #7, supremely self interested, seeing jury duty as an inconvenience keeping him from a ball game. Even knowing they're discussing a boy's life doesn't change his lack of concern.
Juror #8, the architect, determined that an innocent boy won't go to the chair without a thorough examination of every area with room for doubt. Self confident and stubborn, unfazed by the prospect of being the only dissenter.
Juror #9, the elderly man, pays close attention to detail, genuinely interested in doing the right thing.
Juror #10, his most prominent feature is the way his racism affects his every opinion about the case.
Juror #11, wants to follow the system properly, appreciating it differently than the others by virtue of coming from another country which didn't offer the freedoms and safeties he finds in the American legal system. Juror #12, similar to #7 in his extreme self interest. While he's a bit more polished than #7, he would rather talk about advertising than deliberate the points of the case.

These characters are all exaggerations, designed to highlight the different viewpoints that can be present in such a gathering. Each presents a piece of the group dynamic. One shared characteristic of most of them is that they are content to follow another's lead, whether Juror #8 of Juror #3. In this case Juror #8, knew how to present himself and presented his doubts better than #3 presented his certainty. No one wanted to side with Juror #8 against the other 11 jurors. Only Juror #9, the old man, who was unconcerned with social standing was willing to make that leap, and even he only did so out of respect for Juror #8's guts in standing alone.

Despite their knowledge that they were dealing with a young man's life, they were still concerned with the group's approval. Juror #8 wisely worked with the group dynamic to allow each Juror to change his mind in a way that felt acceptable to him. It's telling that the "outsiders" came around to his viewpoint first, the elderly Juror #9, the "raised in the slums #5, and the immigrant #11. Once there was a respectable number of "Not Guilty" votes, Juror #2 felt comfortable switching his vote, being himself an outsider, but also easily intimidated. Juror #6, the "average" guy now has the ability to entertain the facts, without a huge majority leaning either way, and considering the doubts presented changes his vote. With the numbers even at that point, and unable to deny the momentum of going from one Not guilty vote to six, the self interested are the next to change votes, partly to get what they see as the inevitable process over with. This leaves the three Jurors requiring extra persuasion. Juror #10, is persuaded by the room's unanimous rejection of his racist reasoning, which is only possible on the level that it occurs due to the growing majority. Juror #4, is all about the facts, and considers himself the smartest man in the room, only by appealing to knowledge about eyeglasses that only he himself has is he able to be swayed. This leaves only Juror #3, who is "peer pressured" into coming to grips with his own baggage. Certainly the facts and lack of them, is important, but as shown, the facts themselves would not have changed the Guilty verdict to Not Guilty.

In my opinion, this is the biggest danger of the jury system, the fact that group dynamics, can overpower the facts. I think that most jurors, have a suspicion that a man who is on trial is not on trial for no reason. We trust authority figures more than the average citizen. A policeman's testimony on the stand carries more weight than that of the man he arrested. The jurors here come to recognize Juror #8 as an authority figure, giving in to his determination and self confidence. While it's fortunate that he's working to give the accused a chance, making him just a little dumber and less charismatic, and making Juror #8 a touch more stable and objective would have changed the whole equation.

"12 Angry Men" is just a movie, but the issues it raises are as relevant now as they were then. Our jury system has not changed.Many people view the courts as a place where people, win by hiring the better lawyer. Do we really observe "innocent until proven guilty." to the point of "beyond a reasonable doubt?" I would speculate that the answer is "sometimes." I'm sure that some juries are as diligent as they can possibly be, but I'm just as sure that some are not. Some would answer such an assertion with the challenge to stop complaining if you don't have a better solution, but I don't accept that. The point of this movie to me is to ask some difficult questions, and take a look at where what we have can go wrong. It's wonderful that this movie is shown to schoolchildren to expose them to the danger's inherent in our system. This is a film I think we can all benefit from watching now and then, because someone's life or liberty could be at stake, and while we can't help the fact that the system isn't perfect, we can at least take it seriously enough to try to be aware of where it fails.

Fittingly I think, we don't know any more than the jurors do if the accused kid killed his father. Maybe he did and maybe he didn't. That's what Juror #8's battle is really about, the fact that they can't know that. They are presented evidence that makes it appear that he did, and the Jury's response is to accept the evidence, arriving at the conclusion that he must have done it, and it needs to be proven that he didn't, the opposite of the law's requirement, yet a natural reaction, drawing guilt from the accusation.  To shift the burden of proof to the accuser, is a monumental undertaking which is only done by him accepting that their understanding in reversed and proving to them "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the case has a lot of holes in it. He points out this fact many times, but none of them understand it until the "proof" is scrutinized.  Rather than assume innocence, they assume guilt, and Juror #8 is forced to examine the case through this standard rather than the one prescribed by law.While Henry Fonda, might make it look like a walk in the park, I fear this task would be too much for most of us.

Sidney Lumet has said that the screenwriter Reginald Rose, believed that people were essentially good, a fact which Lumet himself doesn't agree with, but all the same, he loved the story. Personally, I can see the story serving both points of view. We can take it totally at face value and point to it as an example of the system working, but the difficulty and uncertainty in reaching this point suggest that next time it likely won't.  If we had 12 men itching like Juror #7 to see a ball game, this would have been a much different and much shorter movie. It's also notable, and a sign of the times, that the boys jury of "peers" was twelve white men who, except for Juror #5, had nothing in common with the accused at all. The problems the jury faces however are anything but outdated, as "beyond a reasonable doubt" and "innocent until proven guilty" are principles that our system still wrestles with today, and the stakes are exactly the same.

Justice prevails here perhaps, but I don't see any choice but to view it as anecdotal evidence. A brilliant film, which I think serves us better as a warning to how easy it is for the system to fail, than as a shining example of how well it works.

Escape From New York

In the future (1997, according to the movie) crime has risen to ridiculous levels and Manhattan Island has been turned into a walled prison without guards on the inside, leaving the prisoners to do as they like, provided they don't leave the prison. "The one rule is once you go in you don't come out."The borders are heavily guarded by an army of police, as evidenced in the opening when a helicopter blows up two men trying to escape via raft (after warning them and their compliance with the request to turn around.)

We next see a bus arrive, which two armed guards exit, escorting a man with an eye patch. As they escort him into a building where prisoners are processed and transported into the prison. The loud speaker reminds prisoners that they have the option to "terminate and be cremated" at any time, rather than go to the prison.

Island security has obtained a distress signal, which they soon realize is from Air Force One, which has been hijacked by a terrorist who is in the process of crashing it. The Secret Service men get the president into an escape pod and launch him. Security forces, led by Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) enter the island to search for the president. They're greeted by a prisoner who tells them to leave or the president dies. They show Hauk the president's finger to prove they have him, and he is forced to back off. Hauk soon sees the man with the eye patch, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell). Looking through his record, Hauk cites special forces, black ops experience and many honors, along with his conviction for robbing the federal reserve. He makes Snake an offer.

Hauk: You go in, find the President, bring him out in 24 hours, and you're a free man.

Snake Plissken: 24 hours, huh?
Bob Hauk: I'm making you an offer.
Snake Plissken: Bullshit!
Bob Hauk: Straight just like I said.
Snake Plissken: I'll think about it.
Bob Hauk: No time. Give me an answer.
Snake Plissken: Get a new president!
Bob Hauk: We're still at war, Plissken. We need him alive.
Snake Plissken: I don't give a fuck about your war... or your president.
Bob Hauk: Is that your answer?
Snake Plissken: I'm thinking about it.
Bob Hauk: Think hard.
Snake Plissken: Why me?
Bob Hauk: You flew the Gullfire over Leningrad. You know how to get in quiet. You're all I got.
Snake Plissken: I guess I go in one way or the other... doesn't mean shit to me. All right... I'll do it. Give me the pardon paper.
Bob Hauk: When you come out.
Snake Plissken: Before.
Bob Hauk: I told you I wasn't a fool, Plissken.
Snake Plissken: Call me Snake.


 Hauk tells Snake about the inhabitants of the island. They equip him with a tracking device/ timer, and tell him he can locate the president by a signal from bracelet he wears.Hauk tells him that he know has less than 23 hours, as the deadline is due to a briefcase the president was to bring to the "Hartford Summit" meeting with China and Russia.  They inject Plissken with microscopic capsules which will explode in twenty four hours, unless he's back before then and they deactivate them. Snake promises "when I get back, I'm gonna kill you."

Snake is given a plane to land on the Wrold Trade Center, the only way to get in undetected. Snake makes the landing. He makes his way down and finds the wreckage of the plane, reporting back to Hauk, that no one else survived the crash. He gets a blip on his wrist device, indicating the president is ahead. He searches through the devastated Manhattan, finding a theater with people watching a live musical show. He's noticed walking through by Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine) who recognizes him as Snake Pissken. He tells Snake he shouldn't go downstairs, but Snake doesn't listen. Snake casually beats two muggers who attempt to attack him. He finds the president's tracking bracelet, on the wrist of a random degenerate.  He radios Hauk to tell him he's leaving and the president is dead. Hauk tells him if he tries to leave, he'll shoot him down.Snake remarks "No human compassion."

With no other option, he continues searching, finding the president's escape pod. Snake follows a man making noises and is surprised when people start appearing all around him, coming up to the street via manhole covers and emerging out of alleys. He ducks into a "Chock Full O' Nuts" shop and meets a girl (Season Hubley) who asks if he's a cop. She tells him she's stuck in the shop as it isn't safe to go out at night with the gangs out. She recognizes him, and remarks "I heard you were dead." It turns out the shop isn't safe as a gang starts coming in through the floorboards, grabbing the girl. Snake shoots some of them and gets away, but his radio is broken.

Cabbie finds him coming out of an alley and tells him he shouldn't be in the street at night. Cabbie casually tosses a Molotov cocktail into the alley where the gang chasing him is now coming from. He's honored to have Snake in his cab. Snake reveals he's looking for the president and puts a gun to Cabbie's head. Cabbie is happy to tell him that the Duke has the President and informs him that he doesn't need to put a gun to his head to get the information. Cabbie tells him the Duke is the Duke of New York, and he's in charge of everything. He also tells him that no one can meet the Duke and live. Cabbie brings Snake to a building, telling him it's a better neighborhood. The building is where "the Brain" (Harry Dean Stanton) lives. They have to get through Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) the Brain's girlfriend. She remarks that she thought Snake was dead. Snake recognizes The Brain as Harold, an old friend who ran out on him and his team in a mission.  He demands to know where the president is. He insists that he doesn't know. Snake offers to take the Brain out with him if he can bring him to the President. Maggie claims that the Duke is planning to take everybody out of the prison. Snake tells her that very soon, the president won't mean much. The Brain reveals that they're working on crossing the 69th St. Bridge, (which is mined ) to leave the island.

They see the Duke (Isaac Hayes) approaching in a car with chandeliers mounted on the hood. Cabbie reminds Snake, "You don't cross the Duke!" The Brain is in a panic because he thinks the Duke will kill him for being with Snake. Duke insists that they go get the President while the Duke is here. They steal a car and head for him, The Brain suggesting they take Broadway against Maggie's protests. Broadway is now completely barbarous, with heads on pikes in the street and people pelting their car with thrown objects as soon as they enter it. The Brain points out a train car, which should contain the president. He tells Snake the Duke should be back in five minutes and he's leaving in four. The Brain distracts the car's guards while Snake sneaks in and grabs the president, killing the guards in the car silently. More guards come after them once they leave the car. Snake beats quite a few of them until they restrain him with numbers.

The Duke has arrived and asks Brain if Snake is a friend of his.  The Duke knocks out Snake, noting that he's heard of him, and heard he was dead. Helicopters scan the island for people but find nothing using infrared body scans, as if the island is deserted. An official appears at the prison headquarters telling Hawk they have to go in themselves. Outside, the train cars, the Duke shoots around the president who is tied up to a wall. He happens to shoot open the briefcase attached to the president's wrist. One of the duke's men takes the cassette tapes in the briefcase and puts them in his pocket. They then untie the president.

One of the helicopters sees a group of people waving them down from the food drop area. They leave the president's briefcase for the security people to find. The Brain figures out that Snake must have come in at the top of the World Trade Center and starts planning to take the plane himself. Hauk examines the briefcase and finds a note in it from Duke, demanding amnesty for all prisoner's in exchange for the president. He's also dismayed that the tapes are not in the briefcase. They also included something from Plissken which gets Hauk to agree that they will go in themselves. Snake is escorted around by many guards, still limping from his wound. They bring him into a makeshift boxing ring while the crowd cheers. His opponent is much bigger than Snake, although Snake appears disinterested. The Duke makes an announcement from the balcony:
They sent in their best man, and when we roll across the 59th Street bridge tomorrow, on our way to freedom, we're going to have their best man leading the way - from the neck up! ...On the hood of my car!
Snake fights his opponent, both armed with trash can lids, and sticks with spikes in them and activates the tracer in his tracking device. Eventually Snake sticks one of the nails through the man's head and the crowd starts sheering "Snake, Snake, Snake" enthusiastically.

The Brain,and Maggie make their way in to see the president (who they've dressed up in a blonde wig) When the guards realize the Brain shouldn't be in there, Maggie shoots them dead. The Brain and Maggie escape the building with the president heading for the plane. Snake catches up with the Brain and Maggie, as well as the others who pursued them there. Snake helps them fend off the attackers, and the plane ends up falling off the building. Snake realizes the briefcase is gone and asks about the tape. The Brain claims he knows where  it is to avoid Snake leaving him behind. The Duke finds them, and threatens to kill them although they escape. Cabbie picks them up and they discover he has the tape, having traded one of Duke's men for his hat. They head for the 69th St. Bridge, now relying on the Brain's diagram to escape. The Duke chases after them. The diagram isn't very effective as they hit several mines, finally blowing the cab in two and killing Cabbie. They go the rest of the way on foot. The Brain hits a mine and dies and Maggie elects to stay behind and try to shoot the Duke, until he runs her over. The Duke follows on foot and Hauk realizes that's how Snake is leaving, keeping his forces on standby, ordering a truck with a winch to help them over the wall, as well as instructing the guards not to shoot prisoners.

The Duke arrives as they're lowering the winch, shooting at Plissken and the guards. Snake beats the Duke and then starts climbing up the winch. The President sees the Duke get up with his gun and shoots him several times, repeating "You're the Duke. You're A number one!" while blasting him (a phrase the Duke had forced him to say earlier) Hauk has Snake's explosives deactivated. The president tells Snake he'll give him anything he wants if he just names it. Snake asks him how he feels about the people who died to get him out of there. The President says the nation appreciates their sacrifice. He then rushes to get ready for a televised address, which relies on the cassette tape from his briefcase. Hauk tells him he has another deal for him to think about, but Snake puts him off. We see the president's surprise when the cassette is Cabbie's music. Snake walks away, unwinding the actual tape.

John Carpenter has never been a director to waste much effort on polish or subtlety. Escape from New York is essentially an ugly parable that is unashamed to present itself as such. This is evident in not only his gritty low budget film style, but also in the way he handles the plot, and related details. "Escape From New York" is certainly sci fi but it isn't about gadgets but people. Rather than flying cars, he shows us a future, that despite having advanced technology, has run in the reverse direction. If you were of a mind to, you could spend a day finding holes in the story logic, but Carpenter isn't worried about such details, as they are just excuses to get the characters to interact, more specifically to allow Snake Plissken to interact with the ugly world around him. "Escape From New York" is a dated movie, but it's Carpenter's willingness to play it completely over the top that keeps the dated quality from dragging it down. It's not likely that Manhattan will become a prison island, by the year 2999, but again, it's not supposed to be a likely outcome, only a nightmarish imagining of where we are brought to a an imagined conclusion, in order to examine a few of our failures.

Kurt Russell's performance is pitch perfect. He makes Snake a terrifically stoic soldier who's tired of taking orders. His tone of voice when saying his own name is enough to give us a feeling for his contempt. Ernest Borgnine's Cabbie is a high point of the film. This "simple" character brimming with enthusiasm gives an unexpected energy to the journey. Of all the deaths in the picture, Cabbie's is the only one that really hits home.  Harry Dean Stanton is also great as self serving as Snake, yet much more untrustworthy. He's a coward all the way through, yet has a talent for making himself valuable. Isaac Hayes also shines as the absurdly egocentric Duke. His unpredictable presence brings a menace to every scene he's in. He isn't an easily disposable villain brought in to let Snake score some easy tough guy points, and it's interesting that it isn't Snake who kills Duke but the president himself. Lee Van Cleef's performance, though brief, brings with it the weight of Van Cleef's career playing Western heavies. It takes that kind of presence to not look ridiculous when trying to force Snake Plissken to do what you want. The cast of this movie alone ensures an enjoyable experience.

I find it amusing that we're already a ways past the futuristic 1997, in which the film takes place. Manhattan is no closer to being a prison island now, but I don't imagine Carpenter really thought it would. It's this kind of over the top detail that suggests Carpenter aimed for the most visually dramatic way to illustrate where society was headed. I don't believe it ever aims to be prophetic in a literal way, only to illustrate the huge disconnect between certain parts of society. Making Manhattan an unattended (on the inside) prison is a pretty direct way to say, those in power don't care in any way shape or form about the "criminal" classes. Once you're sent to New York, you don't get out. That's the only rule, and the values illustrated by that couldn't be more clear. He doesn't delve into what's required to get sent to the prison, but we can assume that every resident is not a hardened murderer or felon. Crime seems to have become a catch all category for any unwanted behavior. Using the destroyed statue of liberty as a marketing image (although the statue is intact in the film) is a pretty direct cue as to the desired effect, as the prison island is an examination of what we do with our huddled masses. The irony is clear looking at an excerpt from "the New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, which is inscribed there:
"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


Plissken is not a saint, being a square representation of the anti hero. We know that he tried to rob the federal reserve, and most people would agree that bank robbers should be incarcerated. We also know that Plissken has worked top secret special ops for the government. The connection between the two actions can be read as Snake Plissken having outright contempt for the government he worked for. The federal reserve is the government's money. This isn't at all veiled in his conversation with Hauk. He doesn't care about Hauk's concern for civilization, or for the safety of the president. A full pardon is what it takes to get his attention, and even then, we are as aware as Hauk is that the pardon should be handed out after the job is done. Even planting the explosive in Plissken is understandable, knowing that Snake has no real loyalty to them and seems to be the most dangerous man alive besides. Letting Snake Plissken rescue the president without another incentive to ensure he delivers would be as dangerous to the government as giving the president to the gangs.

Snake is portrayed as self serving and amoral, self preservation the only thing that really drives him. But keep in mind that this character doesn't exist in a vacuum. The world he exists in has already been through a third world war, and America has clearly stated that their interest is only in furthering the well being of the elite class. The helicopter in the beginning incinerating prisoners on a raft, treats this as a routine activity. Prisoner's entering the prison are given the option to "terminate" at any time in order to save the guards the effort of transport. The guards serve a system which uses cruelty as daily practice. Knowing Snake's extensive experience, it's hard to say that his attitude is unjustified. In fact, he appears to be the only person with a conscience in the film. The bar for conscience, however, has been significantly lowered in this world, and Snake thinks nothing of walking by a rape, rather than take the time to intervene, which would cost time from his mission.

Once inside the prison, we see that Snake really is a legend, although everybody thinks that he was dead. Duke refers to Snake as "the best" they could send, so it's interesting that he isn't presented here as in any way invulnerable. He gets injured and captured like everyone else and his success is hardly a foregone conclusion. He fulfills his mission, but only barely, at the last second possible. Only at the end do we see the shape of the grudge that Snake carries, when he asks the president what he thinks of the people that died to get him out, and he responds that they did a service to their country. Snake isn't at all impressed with the president's sincerity, although the response is exactly what he expected. Despite his pardon, Snake Plissken, knows that he is as "undesirable" as those in the Manhattan prison, and as he reveals in a conversation with Brain, he's seen others die in service to their country.  Whether withholding the tape dooms the country or not isn't nearly as much a concern to Snake, as the chance to call the government on it's lies and disregard for humanity. Snake is self serving and amoral sure, but the government's cruelty and callousness makes him almost look kind.

The indictment here is not merely the government however, as those inside the prison aren't any kinder to each other. "The Duke" is certainly no better than the president in terms of being kind to his fellow man. The average inmate is either a member of a gang or counting down the minutes until a gang member finds him. The prison is a civilisation of ruins, for the most part, totally barbaric. The "civilized" areas are typically only a symbol of status for those with the most power, as demonstrated most by the chandelier's on the Duke's car. And yet, in the midst of the prison insanity, it's still possible to sit in a theater and see a musical. Ernest Borgnine's Cabbie, the gentlest person in the film, keeps Molotov cocktails handy to keep the gangs at bay. Whether in prison or on the outside, the people submit to some structured authority, while the Duke's forces use spikes and sticks, the American government uses cutting edge firepower, preferring to threaten from a distance and having the money to do so. The Duke's gang, however, doesn't present itself as just or civilized so at least can't be accused of hypocrisy. They're only doing what they're expected to do.

Snake Plissken is the wild card, the only one against the very idea of going along with the system. He's been there already and knows what it means, and as a result thinks nothing of thwarting the president's plan to scare China and Russia into line, as soon as his own life is saved. In "Escape from New York" it's hard to find much of humanity that's really worth saving, unless we can find it in Snake Plissken.

White Lightning

The tagline for "White Lightning" was "Meet the Bayou's baddest good ol' boy." This of course refers to Burt Reynold's who plays good 'ol boy in some respects, but adds a bit to the stereotypes. Filmed in 1973, it's the product of a different time, a fact that even then, was a big part of the film.

One rowboat pulls another through the swamp. The front boat is occupied by Sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty) and the rowboat he's pulling contains two college age boys who are bound and gagged. The sheriff stops, picks up his shotgun and shoots their boat and watches as it sinks, drowning the two boys.
We meet Gator McKluskey (Burt Reynolds) working on a car in a garage, laughing and cracking jokes. His good time is interrupted by the arrival of Cap Simms, who after a little friendly banter, tells Gator that he has a visitor, his cousin Louella, who "has kinda got bad news" We realize Gator is serving prison time. Louella informs him that his brother Donnie was killed in Bogan County. Gator has a hard time accepting this, stating that Donnie "didn't run liquor." Louella tells him that his father thinks it was Sheriff J.C. Connors who killed him and another kid he went to college with, on account of "all their protesting. Them damn hippies."

Gator goes to bed and stays there thinking until a guard comes to get him to bring him to work. Gator attacks the guard and takes off into the yard. The guards soon pursue him, but he keeps a good lead, until he finds Cap Simms has come around in front of him. Shotgun in hand he says mildly "Gator, where in the hell do you think you're going?" We next find Gator digging a ditch with the other inmates. Simms talks to him while he digs, reminding him that he's done pretty well with his sentence and only has a year left. He recommends that Gator "serve his time easy." Gator remarks to Simms that the federal law put him in prison, and maybe it can get him out. He tells Simms that he's willing to get evidence on Sheriff Connors moonshine activities if they let him out. Simms remarks as a caution that Connors runs Bogan County. Gator responds, "Yeah, but I'll put his ass away."
Simms sets up a meeting with Mr.Cantrell, a federal officer. Reviewing Gator's record Cantrell notes that Gator was serving time for his second offense. Gator corrects him, saying it was his third offense, but his first was when he was thirteen. Cantrell gives him all the types of evidence they need. The feds have a large file on Sheriff Connors but are only interested in his hidden income and moonshine activities. Gator is released and given a fast car for his upcoming moonshine running activities, as well as a contact Dude Watson (Matt Clark) The feds have Watson on federal probation so he's obligated to help. On his way to find Dude, he can't resist speeding past a cop, initiating a high speed chase. He loses the cops and stops by his parent's place. His parents are ecstatic to see him. His father asks him what he thinks he might do now. His mother tells him not to run moonshine anymore, but soon breaks down, telling him to forget whatever he's thinking. His father starts making plans for Gator to stick around, but then stops and asks "When you leaving?" He gets upset when Gator tells him he's headed for Bogan County, urging him to "let the dead lie." Gator reveals that the law got him out of prison. His father asks, clearly very angry,” Are you taking down the names of liquor people and turning them in?" Gator responds, "I'm gonna get that Sheriff Pa." His father glares turns his back and walks in the house in disapproval. His mother says "It's a bad thing Bobby."
The next day Gator visits a race track and finds Dude working on a race car. Gator makes conversation asking Dude to tune up his car. He asks if he can take a drink from the jug of moonshine sitting on the car Dude's working on. Dude claims he doesn't know a thing about it as some guy just left it there. "Think I'm the fuzz?" Dude says "I don't know what you are." Gator informs him that he's going to help Dude make deliveries and take down some names. Dude asks him, "Why do you want to mess with an old boy just trying to make a living on white liquor?"

Gator: I'm only gonna nail one guy's hide, J.C. Connors.

Dude: J.C. Connors? You might as well swim over to China and get old Mousy Tongue.

Dude speeds off and sneaks back home, watching out his windows for Gator with shotgun in hand. Gator sneaks into his house while he's looking outside, and closes the door on his shotgun, taking it from him. When Dude gets upset, Gator returns the gun. When Dude calls him a federal stool pigeon however, Gator punches him in the gut. Gator explains to dude that the sheriff killed his brother. Gator sees a guy making a moonshine delivery and asks Dude who it is. Dude explains that he doesn't like J.C. Connors, but he can't help because five years in prison is better than getting killed. Gator says "You gotta help me Dude. You gotta help me."
Dude brings him to a pool hall and introduces him to Roy Boone (Bo Hopkins) who needs a "blocker" Roy is cagey about it, but after seeing Gator's car and hearing Gator's made up story about a guy he knew named "Rebel Roy" says he'll think about it. Gator sees Sheriff Connors on the street and tells Dude he wants to talk to him. Dude tells him to go ahead but leave him out of it. Gator insists that he come with him however and speeds up to the walking Sheriff in his car, stopping right next to him, with Dude in the passenger's seat between them. The sheriff talks to due a bit and notices Gator staring at him. He stares back and then comments on how fast the car looks. After some banter back and forth Gator tells him "I'm only scared of two thing; women and the po-lice." Connors responds "You spend all your time trying to hump em both dontcha?" Gator says "Yeah." and Connors laughs advising "You take it easy with this machine in this county now."


Roy pulls up and tells him the route he needs him to take to run blocking for him. Sheriff Connors is having a meeting with Harvey who is warning him that Federal investigators are interested in Bogan County, and are probably sending someone to look around, if they haven't already. Connors rants about the necessity of his operations in keeping the men in his department provided for. Roy picks up a police tail and Gator gets a chance to prove himself, getting in between their car and Roy's and diverting them away from him. He leads them on a chase that leads through a lumberyard, and ends with Gator jumping his car onto a barge. Gator looks at the cop smugly from the barge. Gator attempts to seduce an older woman that works for the Sheriff's Department. She's too suspicious however, assuming that he has tickets he needs fixed.

Roy already refers to Gator as the best blocker he ever had. He has Gator bring him to do a pick up at "Big Bear's (R.G. Armstrong) Gator and Dude talk revealing that Gator had Dude mess up Roy's car to encourage more work for Gator. Big Bear is suspicious of Gator. He asks Gator a lot of questions and pulls Gator aside with a knife up to his neck. He threatens Gator. "Don't you ever do me no wrong." with the blade still against his neck. Gator stays cool and says "How'd you like that knife shoved up your ass?"
Big Bear ponders seriously a moment and says "I wouldn't like that at all. Let's go eat some greens."

Driving back home, Gator, Roy and Roy's girlfriend, Lou (Jennifer Billingsley) laugh about the incident when Gator admits he was "scared shitless." Lou chatters in between the two men and they both tune her out, Gator looking at the swamp where his brother drowned. Lou starts giving Roy a hard time about his moonshine running. Lou and Gator end up alone in the car and Lou starts telling Gator about her sexual inclinations, picking up the conversation as Roy makes his drops. She tells Gator. "I don't believe in fooling around. If you want it just say so." Gator asks "What about Roy?" She answers "He's not gonna be standing around watching us is he?"

Sheriff Connors and an officer see Roy making his deliveries, remarking that he's running late. The officer asks about the new guy Roy has with him, and Connors doesn't answer. Gator sees a group of college kids in a diner and asks if any of them go to school in the area, hoping to find someone who knows his brother. Lou calls him a cradle robber. Roy remarks "I don't know what you're talking to them damned pot smokin’, draft dodgin’, long haired sons of bitches for. They don't know nothin’. All they do is cause dissension."

The next morning Gator is out swimming, having stayed over at Roy an Lou's place. Roy is still asleep and Lou watches him out the window as she fixes breakfast. She then brings it out to him and feeds it to him while he's in the water, teasing him. They talk a bit about prison and Lou warns him that he'll end up back in there if he doesn't stop working the moonshine. He tells her he'll buy her a new dress if she gets in the water with him, which she does. Roy wakes up and finds the house empty. He notices that Lou had been cooking and mutters about people wandering off.

Sheriff Connors, gets some information that someone has been sent to investigate him and that the person is working with Dude Watson. He compares the feds to the communists, ranting about integration as well. Harvey asks what he'll do. Connors says "I'm gonna get mean." prompting Harvey to plead with him. "It can't be the way it was!"

Federal officers come see Gator at Dude's place, prompting Dude to tell Gator he wants it all over. Gator tells them off for coming to Dude's place, and tells them he'll call if he has anything. Gator, Lou and Roy take off to make the days runs. Roy keeps asking them both where they were earlier. Gator says he was at Dude's and Lou wasn't with him. He asks Lou separately and she says they went nowhere. He then asks Gator, who says they went for a walk. Roy says "took you long enough." Gator tells Roy that if he has something to say, to just say it. Roy tells him not to look at Lou anymore. Gator then demands. "Just exactly what are your intentions?"
Roy: About what?
Gator: Are you gonna marry her or what?
Roy: What?
Gator: That's just what I thought.

The sheriff is at Dude's house, where Dude's wife tells him Dude isn't home. Connors tells her "You can call the NAACP first, or what is the ACLU? the CIO? the FBI or any other damned thing. She responds "Well he isn't here." He then insists that she come with them then. She says she has to get her pocketbook, but Connors sends his men to the back door where they catch her trying to run. She tells them that Gator is with Roy. Roy and Gator are at Big Bear's place where Gator takes advantage of Big Bear complaining about the quality of a batch to look around his office and take some papers.

Roy and Gator make a delivery to a bar, where the bartender remarks that he once knew a Jim McKluskey that looked a lot like Gator, and made the best moonshine around. Gator tells him that Jim is his dad. Roy asks about the book Gator keeps writing him and returns to talking about Lou, accusing him of writing her a love poem. The two of them start fighting attracting a police officer who doesn't mind them fighting but issues a citation for where the car is parked.

Connors then goes to see Dude's parents, asking his Dad, "Skeeter" where he is. Skeeter tries to divert the conversation to a pinball machine he's playing, but Connors squeezes Skeeter's hand in a door hinge to get the information. Dude, Roy and Gator meet at J.W's place, (a regular delivery) where Dude insists that something's wrong just before the Sheriff's men, and Big Bear shoot and kill him. Lou is screaming horrified. Gator attacks the Sheriff's men. Roy sees them attacking Lou, but rather than help, he runs to save himself. They subdue Gator and bring him inside along with Lou to wait for Connors. Gator notices a shotgun close by but Big Bear is watching closely. Gator starts drinking moonshine heavily, causing Big Bear to comment on it. He tells Big Bear he's trying to get so drunk he won't know the difference when Connor's comes for him. Playing up the drunkenness, he then tells Big Bear and the police that Lou has a tattoo on her belly of an American flag and two eagles fighting a snake. Lou of course isn't about to be quiet while they look at her belly. The struggle allows him to grab the shotgun, which he clubs Big Bear with and shoots one of the cops. Gator is shot in the arm, but Lou drives them away as he loses consciousness.

Gator wakes up with pregnant women all around him, as well as one woman with a habit, who takes a hacksaw to his handcuffs. Lou informs him that he's at Sister Linda Faye's Home for Unwed Mothers. Sister Linda Faye informs him that Lou was one of the mothers. Connors and Big Bear are watching Dude's funeral, where Roy is driving Dude's wife around comforting her and telling her that if she needs anything to just ask him. Roy tells the Sheriff he hasn't seen McKluskey.

Gator walks around the property at the home. He asks Lou about her time there but she doesn't want to talk about it. He meets a girl there that knew his brother and was with him the night he was killed.
Girl: He didn't do nothin, I mean nothin' bad. We was just protestin'
Gator: Protesting? What the hell's he got to protest against in Bogan County? You protest up north, in New York and places like that.
Girl: Well that's the beauty of it. Don't you see? It was his idea. We picked the worst county in the whole state to hold a demonstration.
Gator: Why?
Girl: You know how Donnie was!
Gator: [shakes his head] No I don't.
She details the events, while Lou listens in intrigued a little ways away.
Gator: You know something? I just got out of prison, running cars, stealing cars, running moonshine, I ain't never done nothing good my whole life. Then along come Donnie, the only one that ever went to school, the only one that ever accomplished anything, the only one that ever did anything in the whole family. What the hell's it mean?

One of the girls alerts Gator that the Sheriff is inside asking about him. Lou watches sadly as Gator gets in the car. He drives around the building and runs right into one of the police cars, inciting everyone to pursue him. He leads them through fields and dirt roads. He loses them at one point and circles back to hit the Sheriff's car to be sure they stay after him. The Sheriff takes one of the cruisers himself after the officer driving him goes off the road. Gator again comes back and hits his car to make sure he follows. Gator toys with him, stopping to wave and let him catch up when he could easily lose him. Following Gator, he doesn't realize that Gator is parked just below an incline at the edge of a lake. He jumps right over Gator, who is standing outside his car waiting to watch the car sink as the sheriff drowns.

The town has a huge procession for Sheriff Connors, which Gator and Lou watch. Gator remarks, "Damn. The good, they die young."

While "White Lightning" is first and foremost, an action  revenge story, that doesn't keep it from addressing a few social issues. The battle between the federal government and the culture of moonshiners is one that affects every character in the film. While the government isn't portrayed as an outright villain, it is showed as possibly, a necessary evil, depending on your own priorities. Gator's father was a moonshiner, as was he. Gator has three moonshine offenses, as does Roy, the other prominent "runner" in the film, suggesting that this is the life they know, law or not. When Gator leaves prison to see his parents, they're not shocked at what he's done, and ask him not to get into it again, because he'll get in trouble with the law, not because it's wrong. Prison is just a part of the life they know, and they don't think any less of him for being incarcerated for it. Gator's father, however, does think less of him for working with the feds, naming names of moonshiners. He seems to view it as a betrayal of the family.

An interesting part of the film is that Gator, doesn't engage in much hand wringing over working with the federal government. For him, it appears the only second option available, escape being first. Everyone assumes that he'll be turning everyone in, but as he explains a few times, he's only after one guy. Using the law against the law, gives him the ability to avenge his brother when nothing else will. Ultimately he doesn't betray his culture, but uses the law as a tool. The Sheriff, is as much a part of the moonshine culture as Gator is, and while we could see him as "law" He is as opposed to the Federal government as much as Gator's father or any moonshiner. viewing it as very much the enemy. Connors views the federal government as communists, trying to force integration and rob the people of his county.

Gator's decision is rejected by his father and others because they don't like the principle of the thing. It's a very "us and them" mentality. You just don't work against your own people. Gator's decision however, is also decided based on "the principle of the thing." He reveals late in the movie that he didn't really know his brother, but to him the idea that some sheriff can just kill his brother is not at all tolerable. It's an idea that he can't stand so much that he's willing to risk his life to correct it. He's not making a stand against any great injustice. A man killed his brother. It's a personal attack that he feels must answered by any means necessary. His distant view is evidenced by the lack of savagery on Gator's part. He's willing to fight or even kill someone if he has to to preserve his own life, but even after killing Sheriff Connors, he takes no pleasure in it, other than doing a job he needs to see done. He's able to stand by calmly as the Sheriff launches himself into the water. It doesn't need to be up close and personal. it just needs to be done. Rather than shoot Big Bear with the shotgun, he hits him with it, and only kills an officer who has his gun pointed at him at close range. He wonders what it means that his brother who was "good" and interested in social change was killed, while he, who was never good at all, gets by OK. He doesn't understand what his brother was doing, but clearly sees it as more worthwhile than his own activities. He answers his own pondering at the end when he says "The good, they die young." if you note that Sheriff Connors was not young.

While not overly concerned with a greater injustice, the character does have his own code of conduct. He thinks nothing of sleeping with Lou, although she's Roy's girl. When confronted on it, he asks if Roy plans to marry her, implying that if he was, he'd back off. Clearly he isn't, so this doesn't trouble his conscience.  Gator isn't a character given to much introspection, but he has lines he won't cross. He's happy enough being a "good ol' boy." although his definition may differ from others. While he's pretty smart, he isn't educated. or bothered by the fact he isn't. He knows cars and moonshine, and given a choice would be content to sit around drinking and telling jokes.
Contrary to the movie's assertion, he isn't "the baddest." He doesn't bother with tough guy posturing, unless pressed to defend himself, yet he's secure enough to take a gun away from someone and then give it back if they ask.
 
The federal government looms over all of them, and the times are changing, as Harvey tells Sheriff Connors "It can't be the way it was!" Although most people in Gator's immediate circle wish the federal government would leave them alone, they are slowly accepting that some changes are inevitable. This is a community where Gator can establish instant credibility, by mentioning a driver he knew named "Rebel Roy," a character who had a Confederate flag painted on his hood. He views protesting as something that should happen "up north, in New York. places like that." While Gator's limited world view and his prison term would seem to insulate him from the world changing around him, it doesn't, and he's affected him through his brother's death. His brother Donnie was the "the only one in the family who ever accomplished anything" He doesn't understand Donnie at all, but seems happy with what he's done, and his own revenge taking is it's own sort of protest, rejecting the status quo which allowed his brother's death.
 
Director Joseph Sargent does a passable job, telling the story in straightforward style. The scenery and settings ring true and build the secluded environment believably. The car chases and action sequences are exciting enough, but the focus is always squarely on Burt Reynolds who gives a great performance here. The character work is interesting, particularly Gator's relationship with Cap Simms, which shows that Gator has no deep grudge against "the system" thriving in prison as easily as he does outside. Sargent doesn't attempt anything flashy or elaborate to make his mark on the film, and it's not surprising to me that he's primarily a director of TV movies, as this could easily fit within the TV movie style. It's no insult in my opinion when I don't notice a director, it can just mean that he focused on telling the story, which is true here I think.
 
Reynold's gives a terrific lead performance, alternately subtle and over the top. His character is uneducated, but you get the sense that in his own way, he's always thinking. It's easy to see why he was such a big name in the movies, and a different world from "Cannonball Run" He's a fine actor and shows it here. Ned Beatty is also great here, playing the backwater menacing Sheriff perfectly. In a perfect world roles like this would ease "Deliverance" associations that follow Beatty around. A fine job, and he presents a believably real danger, playing a man who's unbelievably mean spirited, although he believes in service of his community.  
 
"White Lightning" ends up being a story about what's personally acceptable, and what changing times do to us as people. It's smart enough to present change as good and bad. Although we make forward progress, we lose some things too, but if we don't adapt, we die. Sheriff Connors used moonshine to help his officers buy the things they need for their families. But, Connors also thought nothing of killing a college kid who organized a protest and insisted on his rights. The film doesn't present the federal government as the solution, pointing out that they couldn't do a thing against the sheriff, if Gator wasn't willing to help. The federal government's laws are simply a condition, which here Gator uses for his own ends. In this case a change is necessary. In Gator's personal case, if he observed the traditional "don't work with the feds" rule, he would not have been able to reach the sheriff at all. His adaptability is what makes him a threat and gives him the right thing to say when he has a knife up to his neck. Some things are bigger than us, but like it or not, we have to deal with them somehow.

In Bruges

Most movies about hit men take them very seriously presenting them as almost an amoral  force of nature. But, even a hit man has to start somewhere. "In Bruges" is a movie that shows two hit men not on the job, but recovering from one, in hiding, in Bruges, Belgium. In this dark comedy, they are not inhuman killing machines, but regular guys. who squabble about sightseeing, and wrestle with ethical dilemmas just like anyone else. (but more so)

Ray (Colin Farrell) reflects in voice over,
"After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - "Get the fuck out of London, you dumb fucks. Get to Bruges." I didn't even know where Bruges fucking was. It's in Belgium.

Ray and his partner, Ken (Brendan Gleeson) immediately start arguing over what Bruges will be like. Ken asking Ray to wait until they see it to pass judgement, Ray insisting that he knows it'll be a "shithole." Ken leads the way, clearly having more information than Ray does. When they check in at a local Inn and find rather than two rooms, that they have one twin room and it's reserved for two weeks, Ray gets more upset, finding that length of time unbearable already. Ken is calm, but Ray is very high strung, but nevertheless they start a tour of the city canals by boat. Ken enjoys taking in all the sights, while Ray takes every opportunity to complain. Ken decides to check out a tower with a great overhead view of Bruges, but Ray declines to go.
Ray: What's up there?
Ken: The view.
Ray: The view of what? the view of down here? I can see that from down here.
Ken: Ray, you're about the worst tourist in the whole world.
Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded it might impress me. But, I didn't, so it doesn't.

Ken shakes his head and goes up himself, leaving Ray downstairs to wait. Ray manages to upset an overweight American Family by suggesting the windy stairs to the top of the tower might not be ideal for them. When they press him on what he means by that he says, "You're a bunch of fucking elephants" The American chases Ray around before running out of breath. Ken enjoys the view and runs into the Americans when he comes back down, adding to their offense by good naturedly cautioning them that the climb is really narrow.  He glares at Ray, realizing he must have already upset the family.

Ken and Ray visit a pub and discuss their situation. Ray suggests that they call their employer, Harry,  tomorrow and say "thanks for the trip, but we're going back to London to hide." Ken suggests that they stick to the instructions and quietly sight see until Harry calls. He suggests to Ray, that they may not be simply hiding out  but could be there to do a job, pointing out that sending them to Bruges to hide out is over elaborate when there are many closer places they could do that. Ray agrees and points out that they don't have guns. Ken tells him "Harry can get guns anywhere."

They return back to the room to wait for a call, where Ken calmly reads and Ray gets impatient again. He suggests they go to a pub, but Ken won't entertain the idea. Ray changes his approach and suggests that they go look at buildings, as they must look better at night, "all lit up and that." They encounter a film crew in the street, causing Ray to exclaim "They're filming midgets!" meaning Jimmy (Jordan Prentice). His attention is immediately drawn to Chloe (Clemence Poesy) who is working on the crew. To introduce himself, he asks "What are you filming midgets for?" She tells him a bit about the movie and he talks more about "midgets"
Ray: A lot of midgets tend to kill themselves. A disproportionate amount, actually. Hervé Villechaize off of Fantasy Island. I think somebody from the Time Bandits did. I suppose they must get really sad about like... being really little and that... people looking at them, laughing at them, calling them names. You know, "short arse". There's another famous midget. I miss him but I can't remember. It's not the R2D2 man; no, he's still going. I hope your midget doesn't kill himself. Your dream sequence will be fucked.
Chloë: He doesn't like being called a midget. He prefers dwarf.
Ray: This is exactly my point! People going around calling you a midget when you want to be called a dwarf. Of course you're going to blow your head off.
She laughs at his observations, and he gets her to agree to dinner tomorrow night.

At the hotel, the Inn keeper informs him that he has a message. He reads it;
"Number One, why aren't you in when I fucking told you to be in? Number Two, why doesn't this hotel have phones with fucking voicemail and not have to leave messages with the fucking receptionist? Number Three, you better fucking be in tomorrow night when I fucking call again or there'll be fucking hell to pay. I'm fucking telling you - Harry."

There's also a note from the Innkeeper, explaining that she's not a receptionist but the owner of the Inn along with her husband. Ray returns to the room and brags about his date tomorrow, although Ken pleads with him to turn off the light and let him sleep.

The next morning, Ken tells Ray they missed the call, sharing the note with Ray, who says "Jeez he swears a lot doesn't he?" Ken explains that they're staying in tonight, but Ray suggests that only one of them needs to stay in, reminding Ken of his date. Ken agrees but cautions him not to get in any trouble, and adds that in return they'll do what he wants all day.


Ken leads them to an old church, where Ray fidgets and complains. Ken points out an artifact in an attempt to interest Ray:
Ken: Up there, the top altar, is a vial brought back by a Flemish knight from the Crusades in the Holy Land. And that vial, do you know what it's said to contain?
Ray: No, what's it said to contain?
Ken: It's said to contain some drops of Jesus Christ's blood. Yeah, that's how this church got its name. Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Ray: Yeah. Yeah.
Ken: And this blood, right, though it's dried blood, at different times over many years, they say it turned back into liquid. Turned back into liquid from dried blood. At various times of great stress.
Ray: Yeah?
Ken: Yeah. So, yeah, I'm gonna go up in the queue and touch it, which is what you do.
Ray: Yeah?
Ken: Yeah. You coming?
Ray: Do I have to?
Ken: Do you have to? Of course you don't have to. It's Jesus' fucking blood, isn't it? Of course you don't fucking have to! Of course you don't fucking have to!

Ray takes off and waits outside while Ken waits to touch the vial. Sitting on a bench outside he sees Jimmy walk past and waves. Jimmy looks but doesn't wave back, angering Ray.  The man sitting on the other side of the bench has a dog which gives Ray a long look, prompting Ray to recall a memory of another church. In the memory Ray is in a confession booth, talking with a priest, who asks what he's done:
Ray: Murder, father.
Priest: Why did you murder someone, Raymond?
Ray: For money, father.
Priest: For money? You murdered someone for money?
Ray: Yes, father. Not out of anger. Not out of nothing. For money.
Priest: Who did you murder for money, Raymond?
Ray: You, father.
Priest: I'm sorry?
Ray: I said you, father. What are you, deaf?
Ray: Harry Waters says hello.

He shoots the priest many times as he attempts to leave the booth, but realizes when the priest falls that one of his shots has killed a little boy who was kneeling at the altar. Ray picks up the note the boy held in his hands to detail his "sins"  The note reads:
1. Being moody
2. Being bad at maths
3. Being Sad
Ray is shaking unable to deal with what he's done.

Back in present day, Ken and Ray are in a gallery looking at paintings. Ray finds one that he likes, "Judgment Day" by Bosch. He asks Ken about it.
Ken: It's Judgment Day, you know?
Ray: No. What's that then?
Ken: Well, it's, you know, the final day on Earth, when mankind will be judged for the crimes they've committed and that.
Ray: Oh. And see who gets into heaven and who gets into hell and all that.
Ken: Yeah. And what's the other place?
Ray: Purgatory.
Ken: Purgatory... what's that?
Ray: Purgatory's kind of like the in-betweeny one. You weren't really shit, but you weren't all that great either. Like Tottenham.
Ray: Do you believe in all that stuff, Ken?
Ken: About Tottenham?
Ray: The Last Judgment, the afterlife...guilt and sins and hell and...all that.

They find a bench and discuss belief. Ken points out the difficulty of believing in the afterlife while realizing that he has killed people. Ken says that most of them deserved it except for one guy who came at him with a bottle defending his brother. Ray points out that a bottle could've killed him, but Ken doesn't seem comforted. They devolve into a discussion about karate. Ray breaks down and starts talking to Ken about what's bothering him.
Ray: I killed a little boy! ...
Ken: You didn't mean to kill a little boy.
Ray: I know I didn't mean to. But, because of the choices I made and the course that I put into action, a little boy isn't here anymore and he'll never be here again. I mean here in the world, not here in Belgium. Well, he'll never be here in Belgium either, will he? I mean, he might have wanted to come here when he got older. I don't know why. And that's all because of me. He's dead because of me. And I'm trying to get my head around it, but I can't. I will always have killed that little boy. That ain't ever going away. Ever. Unless...maybe I go away.
Ken: Don't even think like that.

Later, Ken reads, while Ray gets ready for his date.  Trying to cheer him up Ken say "You look good." Ray responds "What's it matter anyway?"  Ray and Chloe discuss occupations at the restaurant.
Chloe: So what do you do?
Ray: I shoot people for money
Chloe: What kinds of people?
Ray: Priests, children. You know, the usual.
Chloe: Is there a lot of money to be made in that line of business.
Ray: There is in priests. There isn't in children. What is it you do Chloe?
Chloe: I sell cocaine and heroin to Belgian film crews.
Ray: Do you?
Chloe: Do I look like I do?
Ray: You do, actually. Do I look like I shoot people?
Chloe: No. Just children.

Ray tells Chloe about Jimmy ignoring him when he waved earlier. She explains that he's on a lot of horse tranquilizer. She tells him she's excited about the movie. Chloe appears insulted when he insults Bruges and Belgium, but then reveals that she wasn't really offended, just toying with him. While Chloe visits the restroom, another diner gets upset about him smoking, although they're in the smoking section. Knocking out the man, and then his girlfriend when she attacks him with a bottle. He tells Chloe they have to leave and he's afraid she thinks he hits women, pointing out that she had a bottle.

Ken gets a call from Harry and pretends that Ray is in the bathroom. Harry tells him to send Ray out for a half hour without looking suspicious. Ken pretends to do so. Harry has him double check. He mentions that he loved Bruges when he visited, describing it a "like a fairytale." Harry seems offended when Ken says that it might not be Rays's cup of tea. Harry can't understand how Bruges could not be anyone's "cup of tea." getting irate. Ken changes his approach saying that Ray has come to really like it, just having an initial hesitation. He makes up an unbelievable quote from Ray telling Harry he said "Ken, I know I'm awake, but I feel like I'm in a dream."
"Like in a good dream?" Harry asks. "Yeah, of course, like in a good dream"
Harry then says. "Good. I'm glad he likes it. I'm glad we were able to give him something. Something good and happy. Because he wasn't a bad kid, was he?"
It dawns on Ken, what Harry is saying. Harry gives him an address to pick up a gun and asks him to give him a call "when it's done."
Ken: When what's done?
Harry: Are you being thick?
Ken: No.
Harry: Listen. I like Ray. he was a good bloke, but when it all come down to it, you know, he blew the head off a little fucking kid. And you brought him in, Ken. So, if the buck doesn't stop with him, where does it stop?
Ken agrees but obviously is troubled by the assignment.

Ray is back at Chloe's place, in bed. He's surprised when a man comes in and holds a gun to his head. He takes the gun from the man, which causes him to pull out a knife. Chloe warns him that the gun has blanks in it. making Ray suspicious of her. Ray fires a blank in the man's face, incapacitating him. Chloe, when questioned, reveals that the guy used to show up to rob tourists she lured there, but she had told him not to come tonight. She takes her injured partner to the hospital, but insists before leaving that Ray call her. He finds some of Chloe's hidden drugs.

Ken goes out and starts drinking beer, He runs into Jimmy at the bar and compliments him on the girl his with. Jimmy tells him that she's a prostitute. Ray comes in and explains that he's done a gram of coke and has four more that he stole. He finds Jimmy making out with his prostitute and interrupts him demanding an explanation for not waving. He offers them his drugs and they all go to a room to do them. Ray, shares his observation on "midgets killing themselves" with Jimmy and asks if he's ever thought about it. Jimmy of course gets offended. Ray asks if Harry has called, but Ken tells him no. Jimmy, totally stoned, shares a theory on the war coming between the whites and blacks, explaining that you don't get to choose the side you're on. Ken tells Jimmy that his wife was black, killed by a white man, also revealing that Harry Waters killed the man who did it, which leaves Jimmy unable to tell him which side he would fight on. "Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf. I think I'm heading home."  Ray goes with him, giving Jimmy a karate chop when he tries to grab the remaining cocaine.

Ray wakes in the morning to find Ken out. Ken is meeting the man with the guns, Yuri. (Eric Godon) He gives Ken a gun with a silencer. Yuri tells Ken that there are lots of "alcoves" unsure whether that's the right English word. Ken tells him that alcoves is the word, and when questioned by Yuri as to whether he's going to do it, he responds that "it's what he does." Ken returns to the hotel and the inn keeper tells him that Ray was acting oddly. Ray had asked her about the baby (she's pregnant) and then gave her 200 euros to give to the baby and said he was going to the park.

Ken finds Ray in the park and watches from a distance, getting his gun ready to kill him. He approaches from behind, but before he reaches him he sees that Ray has a gun of his own which he puts up to his head. Rather than shoot him he tells Ray not to do it. Ray realizes that Harry was going to kill him. They go discuss the situation and Ken tells him he wasn't going to go through with it. He takes the gun from Ray and tells him he's not giving it back. He tells Ray, he's going to give him some money and put him on a train, prompting Ray to start sobbing.
Ray: I killed a little boy!

Ken: Then save the next little boy. Just go away somewhere, get out of this business, and try to do something good. You're not going to help anybody dead. You're not going to bring that boy back. But you might save the next one.
Ray: What am I going to be, a doctor? You need exams.


Ken reveals that Bruges was Harry's plan to give him one last nice memory. Ken sees him to the train, where he reveals that the hit he did was his first job. Ken calls Harry and tells him that Ray is on a train and if he has a problem with it to come to Bruges and do his worst. We see Harry (Ralph Fiennes) beating up the phone. His wife interrupts him, saying "It's an inanimate fucking object!"
Harry: You're an inanimate fucking object!
He tells his wife and kids that he's leaving to attend to "a matter of honor" and apologizes for calling her an inanimate object.
Ken is at the hotel getting dressed up.Ray is on the train when an attendant approaches him telling him he "heet the Canadian" He discovers that the couple he beat up in the restaurant is on the train. He tells Ray they're returning him to Bruges. Harry is already in Bruges, meeting with Yuri. The skinhead, Eirik, that Ray blinded with the blank is also there with a patch over his eye. Yuri offers Harry "dim dims"
Yuri: I also have some dim-dims. You use this word, dim-dims? The bullets that make the head explode?

Harry: Dum-dums. Yeah.
Yuri: Would you like some of these dim-dims?
Harry: I know I shouldn't... but I will.

Eirik,  explains his predicament to Harry, describing what happened in hopes of sympathy. Harry responds however by saying "To be honest it sounds like it was all your fault."
Eirik: What?
Harry: I mean basically, if you're robbing a man and you're only carrying blanks, and you allow your gun to be taken off you, and you allow yourself to be shot in the eye with a blank, for which I assume the person has to get quite close to you, then, yeah really it's all your fault for being such a poof. So why don't you stop whingeing and cheer the fuck up?
Eirik gets up as if to defend himself. Yuri cautions him not to respond. Eirik looks confused and says, "I thought you wanted the guy dead?"
Harry:  I do want the guy dead. I want him fucking crucified. But, it don't change the fact that he stitched you up like a blind, little gay boy. Does it?

Harry thanks Yuri for the gun and sets off to meet with Ken, who he finds sitting at a cafe waiting for him. Harry sits down at the table and glares at Ken. Ken explains that Ray is suicidal. Harry isn't moved and remarks:
When I phoned you yesterday, did I ask you,  "Ken, will you do me a favor and become Ray's psychiatrist please?"  No. What I think I asked you was "Could you go blow his fucking head off for me?" Ken explains that he prevented Ray from killing himself. Harry can hardly believe this, seeing that as solving everyone's problem. Ken insists that it wouldn't have solved Ray's problem. Harry says
"Ken, if I had killed a little kid, accidentally or otherwise, I wouldn't have thought twice. I'd have killed myself on the fucking spot. On the fucking spot."
Ken tells tells Harry that unlike them, Ray still has the capacity to do something decent with his life. Harry demands to know where Ray is, but Ken of course has no idea.

Chloe has lent Ray money for bail, which she tells him not to worry about. Ken suggests that Harry do what he has to do and recommends they go up to the bell tower to get away from the crowd. Chloe and Ray kiss as she tries to convince him to stay with her. Ken and Harry pass right by them as they kiss, headed to the bell tower. The bell tower turns out to be closed, due to the fact that an American had a heart attack yesterday. The attendant doesn't respond rudely poking Harry in the forehead when he tries to pay him generously to open it. Ken beats the man and they go up anyway. Outside Eirik sees Chloe and Ray at a table. Jimmy stops by as well, dressed as a schoolboy for the movie, and Ray apologizes for karate chopping him. Jimmy remarks that it would be easier to forgive him, if he and Chloe weren't laughing right in his face. He defends his clothes as being for the movie, and they nod trying to stop laughing.

On the walk up the tower stairs, Ken tells Harry he's glad he got to see Bruges before he died. He puts his gun down refusing to fight. Harry puts his gun to Ken's head, and tells him to pick up the gun. Ken refuses saying "I'm totally in your debt." He tells Harry he loves him for his integrity and his honor, but he had to let Ray go, and for that he accepts whatever Harry has to do. Harry responds,
"Well, you say all that fucking stuff, I can't fucking shoot you now, can I?" Ken tells him it's his call but he's not fighting. Harry settles for shooting Ken in the leg.

Ken, Chloe and Jimmy are talking and Jimmy invites them to the set, despite Ray needling him about the war between the whites and blacks. Eirik approaches Chloe and Ray, but rather than say anything he runs off to find Harry. Harry is helping Ken down the stairs, when Eirik reaches him telling Harry that Ray is downstairs. Ken now attempts to fight with Harry to keep him from going after Ray. In the struggle he ends up getting shot in the neck. He tells Ken he's sorry, but "you can't kill a kid and expect to get away with it." Ken grabs a gun and heads back for the top of the tower as Harry goes the other way after Ray. Ken throws himself from the top to warn Ray and to give him his gun. Since Ray's busy looking at Chloe, Ken throws coins to the ground to make sure the crowd below is looking and jumps. He manages to tell Ray that Harry's there and to take his gun before he dies. Ray is distraught of course, but Harry soon arrives to chase him through the streets.

Ray loses him for a bit and gets back to the hotel, demanding the key to their room and telling the Inn keeper to go home immediately. Ray finds his own gun and Ken's Last will and testament. From the top of the stairs, Ray sees that Harry is arguing with the Inn keeper who refuses to let Harry upstairs. Ray tells Harry to promise not to start shooting until the Innkeeper is gone. Harry promises, although the Innkeeper refuses to leave. Harry says "I suppose you've got a gun up there."
Ray: Yep.
Harry: Then what are we gonna do? We can't stand here all night.
Marie: Why don't you both put your guns down and go home?
Harry: Don't be stupid. This is the shootout...
Ray: Harry, I've got an idea.
Harry: What?
Ray: My room faces onto the canal right? I'm gonna go back to me room, jump into the canal, see if I can swim to the other side and escape.
Harry: Right.
Ray: If you go outside around the corner, you can shoot at me from there and try to get me. That way we leave this lady and her baby out of the whole entire thing.
Harry: Do you completely promise to jump into the canal? I don't want to run out there, come back in ten minutes and find you fucking hiding in a cupboard.
Ray: I  completely promise Harry. I'm not gonna risk having another little kid die am I?
Harry: So hang on, I go outside and then I go which way, right or left?
Ray: You go right, don't you? You can see it from the doorway! It's a big fucking canal!
Harry: Alright, Jesus! I've only just got here haven't I?


They agree on a count of one, two, three go, and that Ray will say it. Ray lands on a boat and Harry takes aim and shoots him, although Ray thinks he's too far away. Ray, now wounded gets off the boat a ways down the canal and runs through the streets with Harry chasing.  Ray ends up where the filming is happening and Jimmy sees him approaching, alarmed. Harry gets up behind him and Ray sobs, "The little boy..." Harry says, "That's right. The little boy" before shooting Ray again three times. Ray tries to crawl away, and Harry realizes that he shot Jimmy in the head. Since he used the dum dums, he can't see Jimmy's head, only the small body in the schoolboy uniform. Harry says. "Oh. I see." Ray tries to tell Harry that Jimmy is not a kid, but Harry says 'You've got to stick to your principles." and shoots himself in the head, "on the spot."

Ray is put on a stretcher as the people on the street including Chloe watch, he thinks:
"There's a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch of presents underneath it that'll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I'd go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me. Prison... death... didn't matter. Because at least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn't be in fuckin' Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, fuck man, maybe that's what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in fuckin' Bruges. And I really really hoped I wouldn't die. I really really hoped I wouldn't die. "

"In Bruges" is a dark comedy, and as such, it deals with some dark questions, finding humor in the absurdity of the situation and the conversations resulting. Despite their hit men in hiding status, it's made clear that Ken and Ray are really very close. The difference in the two men's outlooks is interesting to examine. Ken, the experienced hit man, is eager to enjoy Bruges, while Ray, does nothing but find reasons to complain about it. Ken tries to use his paternal influence to help Ray, although he himself is full of unsolved questions. He feels responsible for Ray's problem as he brought Ray into the job. He can't however, say anything to justify Ray's problem, as killing a kid, even accidentally is not something that will go away.

Ken agrees to kill Ray but can't stand by and just let him kill himself. As he mentions to Harry later on, he still believes that Ray could be something better than they are, while he and Harry have already decided on their limits, other than the possibility of getting worse. Ken sees a chance to correct the course which he helped steer Ray towards and perhaps atone for his own life. The fact is inescapable, that he has to defy Harry to do so, which is very sgnificant, as we know that Harry had killed his wife's murderer and possibly done many other things for Ken in the past.  He attempts to honor both loyalties, by telling Harry he'll take whatever punishment he sees fit.

Harry is an interesting figure in that he is utterly devoted to his principles, in contrast to the two hit men who are trying to puzzle things out, Harry doesn't ask questions, just follows his code all the way to the end. While Ken points out that Ray can't help the dead kid, but he could help the next one someday, Harry has no allowance for that, seeing the kid's death as something you "just can't" get away with, which Harry feels ust as strongly about, willing to kill Ken over it, (and himself) although he certinly doesn't want to.

The remarkable thing about this movie is how tightly woven it is. There are no "throwaway" scenes. The couple that Ray assaults in the restaurant, are not ust there for a moment of comic relief, they appear late on to get him kicked off the train, as if to remind us that everything has consequences. Ray blinds the skinhead, Eirik, with a blank, and it's Eirik who sees Ray is back in Bruges and tells Harry. Harry's remark that he's "shoot himself on the spot" if he killed a kid  is exploited. The fact that they're shooting a film and that Jimmy is a dwarf are both pivotal to the plot later. Ray romancing Chloe means that he makes bail later on. The view from the clock tower matters, as does warning the overweight family who insist on going up anyway. The fact that he really like her keeps him in the street so Harry can find him. Everything that happens, matters.

When i say that it's mostly dialogue, that's no insult, as it's great dialogue. Brendan Gleeson's Ken and Colin Farrell's Ray both deliver terrifically, showing not only their characters but the rapport they have with each other. The fact that Ray can discuss the fact that it appeared Ken was going to shoot him in the head, conveys their closeness in the strongest way possible. In this dark comedy, they both see the world as their own dark comedy. Ken comes across as gentle and proper, making it difficult to believe he's a hit man, if not for the fact that he could approach his best friend intending to kill him. Ray on the other hand is crass and hotheaded, reluctant to enjoy anything or sit still for a moment. We see quite clearly that despite his attempts at reckless bravado, he can't escape his guilt for long. Ralph Fiennes is brilliant here, although he comes in late in the picture (other than his voice) he takes charge of the scene, the first chance he gets. Building up the anticipation to his visit by the phone conversations, is a great effect and gives us the feeling that we've been waiting for his arrival. When he shows up, he doesn't disappoint. His straight delivery of harsh absurdities is like a fresh breath for the film, kicking it into motion the accelerated last act.

It's interesting that none of them, Harry, Ray or Ken, cares at all about the idea of killing people in general, only killing kids. Killing a priest isn't even mentioned, nor is any other murder except for Ken's one murder he regrets, which can be seen as self defense. Another interesting example of the tight plotting is Ray's justifying Ken's murder, because "you can kill somebody with a bottle" yet when the woman in the restaurant comes at him with a bottle, he seems barely threatened and almost effortlessly knocks her out. .Despite their profession, Ray and Ken don't seem like bad guys. Which allows the story to show us that everything has consequences, a fact reinforced by the tight plotting. Everything matters.

All three main characters must face the direct consequences of their actions. Ray killed a child. Accidentally or not he has to pay for it. Of this fact he is probably as certain as Harry is that he needs to be punished. It was an interesting touch to have Ray pick up the note from the boy's hand, it's simplicity and innocence, showing us that it's not possible for Ray to ever get over. We don't know if he would've killed himself if Ken hadn't stopped him, but we can believe it, and if not then maybe later. This is something that tortures him constantly and nothing will ever make up for it. Ken's actions were, bringing Ray into the business, and he himself feels indirectly responsible for what happened. When he tries to give Ray a second chance, he is also trying to reduce his own guilt. While he doesn't carry around the murder of the child, he sees Ray dying senselessly as a similar tragedy, which is a result of his actions. He also has to bear the consequences of defying Ray, who to hear Ken tell it, has been extraordinarily good to him. Harry himself although partly being the enforcer of the consequences, is not immune to them himself. He views life a little differently than the other two though, not concerned with anything but his own codes, so much so that when Ray tries to explain that Jimmy isn't a kid, he doesn't even listen, eager to prove that he lives by his principles. It's also interesting that while Ray is the "suicide case" he's the only one of the three that doesn't kill himself.

McDonagh couldn't have done a better job, particularly with a first film. Setting everything in Bruges was an interesting idea, the medieval setting playing a large part in the character's interactions as well as giving us the feeling that this particular play is happening on a smaller stage. The dialogue is sharp and never bores relying on the actors to keep us engaged, which they fulfill completely. Be forewarned that there is more profanity (language) in this movie than ten movies you pick at random, but it suits the story's dark humor perfectly and fits as an element of the characters' conversation not a contrived addition to it. It's also very funny, if you appreciate the dark humor.

Nothing happens in a vacuum, not even if you're secluded in Bruges. There are always consequences. They are largely within the men themselves. Although they aren't always aware of their choices, they still make them. If Ray hadn't beat up the couple in the restaurant he may have escaped from Bruges. If Ken had let Ray kill himself, he may have been off working on his next assignment. If Harry had been able to bend his principles slightly, trusting Ken's decision, he may have been able to get back to business. But they all made choices, and they all mattered. right up to their last ones, which revealed that if nothing else they were true to their convictions. Ken trying to help Ray, Harry in keeping his word and code, and Ray trying to tell Harry not to kill himself although it would certainly mean he himself would die, finally acknowledging some regard for life in general, other than just that of a kid, by placing more importance on the life of them man trying to kill him than his own. The implication of consequences is perhaps more effective by not being a lesson spelled out, but a consistent thread tying the whole film together.