Theme Of A Time To Kill

A TIme to Kill

Joel Schumacher's 1996 film "A Time to Kill" is a thrilling courtroom drama set in Mississippi in the fictional town of Claton set in the 1980s, where the main protagonist Jake Brigandes tries to prove that a black man can get a fair trial in the South. Schumacher reveals the critical themes of Moral dilemma and personal convictions, a flawed criminal justice system, and the racial divide and prejudice that all humans share regardless of gender, race, or class that everyone has through moments of conflict. Schumacher has used Film techniques to shed light upon these key themes to reveal the underlying unfairness in society, in which specific people are oppressed for things they have no control over.

The director uses Character

Is it right for a single man who has been wronged to take the judge, jury, and executioner role? Moreover, is it a failing of the justice system in which Carl Lee was forced to take action because if not, Billy Ray Cob and James Willard would have walked free? More moral conflicts of right and wrong pop up throughout the film, such as when Jake talks to his wife, Carla Brigance, about Carl Lee's conversation with him about his plans to kill the Two men and then Jake's subsequent action of not calling the police, which could have prevented the deaths. Jake faces the problem of his moral duty as a lawyer to be truthful, and his conviction as a father clashes when he defends Carl Lee. He feels guilt at not telling the sheriff but Empathises with Carl Lee as a father of a young girl at the same time. This blurs the line between right and wrong for him, creating further conflict. Ultimately, it is up to the jury to be both empathic and logical in deciding their verdict. Justice should, in the end, be tempered with

Throughout the film, we see Jake Bridgance battle against the racist nature of the system in an attempt for a fair trial in the South for a black man. We see that many people living in Clanton do not believe in justice. Jake himself agrees with this, as when meeting with Carl Lee after the rape of Tonya, Carl Lee admits to his plans of killing Billy Ray Cob and James Willard. Furthermore, Jake knows what Carl Lee would do. He plays it off as just crazy talk. The district attorney states that "justice is and will continue to be colour blind" just before tampering with the jury lists to remove all black people. Even One of the police officers in the film, a person who upholds the law, has connections with the KKK. The law is supposed to impart fair justice by considering all aspects of a matter, including empathy. However, when the "eyes of the law are human eyes." How can the law be fair? During the scene where The jury, made up of all white members, is eating dinner, they reveal their verdict, with a significant number voting for a guilty verdict that condemns Carl Lee to death. A jury member then states a racial slur saying Carl Lee will die. The jury's racial Bias closes their eyes to what Carl Lee is, not just a black man killing two white men but a father with responsibilities as a provider and protector