How Do You Solve the Problems of the Justice System? Disregard the Justice System

 Law Abiding Citizen

Directed by F. Gary Gray

One and One Half Stars

“Law Abiding Citizen” is a film about all of the horrors of the American justice system.  You know, like diplomacy and civil rights.  It’s a film that advocates the death penalty, such that one of two potential corpses is about a dozen too few.  That the film is reasonably well acted and directed doesn’t make it any less irresponsible.

Gerard Butler plays the instigator, Clyde Shelton, one of those wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly-unless-that-fly-was-really-super-annoying tough guys with an adorable little daughter, a beautiful wife, and a history they probably don’t know about.  One night his doorbell rings, and he is greeted with a baseball bat to the face and a pair of serial killers who murder his wife and daughter.  If the word arbitrary doesn’t come to mind, you’re not paying attention.

The two men are caught.  Motivations are not pursued.  Clyde lands attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Fox) who cuts a deal with the DA to send one of the two murderers to death row but lets the other off with a short jail sentence in favor of his testimony.  Clyde is less than satisfied.  They both deserve to die.

And so, ten years later, Clyde begins his killing spree, wiping out everyone who had anything to do with the case.  This includes everyone from the judge right down to the prosecutorial assistants.  The process calls not for the suspension of disbelief, but for the euthanization of it

Part of me wants to admit that there’s a “Clockwork Orange” style courage in director F. Gary Gray’s assault on human decency and fairness.  His approach here suggests that fairness within the legal system is too often insufficient to provide adequate justice.  If you know that someone is guilty, why do you need to prove it to the court?

There is a difference between being the best available justice system and being a perfect justice system.  Because this system proves itself imperfect during Clyde’s case, he assumes it to be a total failure, and aims to dismantle it entirely.  In favor of what?  He doesn’t seem to have any alternative outside of unrestrained violence.

There’s something reprehensible about “Law Abiding Citizen” and the way it misrepresents the capacity of the courtroom for the purpose of unleashing anarchy on the audience.  That Nick Rice learns a ‘valuable’ lesson, taught by said anarchy, sinks the project completely.  Of my final observation of the movie’s message I will not comment, but rather will leave that to you.  The American court system will only work on those who choose to work it.

Rollan Schott
October 28, 2009
Originally Featured in the Daily Nebraskan