Stereotypes In The Film The Accused

The scene I found the most significant in conveying the overall message of the film was the day the verdict was reached in the courthouse. Everyone in the courthouse was tense and anxiously waiting for the final verdict in the rape case of Sarah Tobias. Ms. Tobias was searching for justice against the men who cheered on and encouraged one another during her rape at a local bar called the Mill. Sarah hoped the jury would make the right decision after suffering immensely during the lead-up to the trial. The courthouse was silent as the head of the jury stood and stated the following, “We find the defendants guilty of criminal solicitation,” (1988, Kaplan, 1:45). After hearing this, Sarah Tobias and her attorney, Kathryn Murphy made eye contact

In our society, men are often perceived as masculine and abusive toward women, which was the case for most of the duration of the film. However, cases of victim-blaming and the normalization of sexual violence in films or TV series can also be harmful to the way men behave in our society. The film depicted a scene that expressed this behavior in men, the scene took place in a restaurant where Sarah was working as a waitress. She noticed the news was playing on the television and reporting updates regarding her assault case. The defense attorney painted Sarah Tobias as a promiscuous young woman and dismissed her allegations that she was raped. The defense attorney stated, “The so-called victim consented enthusiastically to all of the alleged acts” (1988, Kaplan, 17:32). His statement assisted in shifting the narrative that Sarah Tobias was raped and accused her of being a fast woman that enticed the group of men to have sex with her. The film cuts to the defendants who were also watching the news and began cheering as they seemed to get off rape allegations, providing a further negative perception of the

Resulting in sexual assault victims frequently experiencing scrutiny and disbelief when reporting their attackers. Especially if the victim does not have a perfect character, like Sarah Tobias from the film “The Accused.” In a scene where Kathryn Murphy was preparing for the court trial, she began questioning Sarah Tobias for information regarding the case. Upon finding new information, Kathryn became upset and stated, “why didn’t you tell me you had a record?” (1988, Kaplan, 20:19). Shifting the narrative of Sarah Tobias as not having an ideal character to present to the jury, although she is the victim of the assault. I believe we must continue to make effort in changing societal attitudes toward sexual assault and to modify our laws to better protect the victims along with holding the criminals