Aleesia C.

The film Just Mercy (2019), directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is based off the stud story of Walter McMillian and the social issue of wrongly condemned death row prisoners. The film follows well-known civil rights defense lawyer Bryan Stevenson as he battles to free a man named Walter McMillian (otherwise known as Johnny D.) who was wrongfully sentenced to prison and put on death row. In 1987, Johnny D was arrested, accused of killing Ronda Morrison, an 18-year-old female, and eventually given the death penalty based solely on a single witness, Ralph Meyers, who had motive to fabricate a testimony against him. When Bryan first visits Alabama to work with the death row inmates, he quickly learns that Johnny D’s case only has one testimony against him and that there are numerous gaps in the case that don’t support his involvement of the murder. Through his perseverance, Bryan stops at nothing to free Johnny D. from a crime he did not commit. The significant themes of mass incarceration, anti-racism, social justice, integrity, and redemption are at the center of this particular film.

The most significant symbol used in this film is the reference to the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which tells the story of a white lawyer who puts himself in danger to defend a black man,Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of rape. Tom and Walter’s stories both involve black men who were wrongfully accused of crimes they did not commit, yet everyone in Monroeville, Alabama mention the popular novel solely because it was written by a town native rather than it being known for its important social issue. This symbol enhances how cultural invisibility and ignorance is at play here in the town of Monroeville because the community acknowledges the popular novel because of its author, yet ignores it’s true message about another black man being convicted for a crime he did not commit at the hands of white men in power. In addition, this film also highlights the socioeconomic status quo of the characters and how all the minorities in the film are shown having less than the white characters, especially in terms of where and how they live. There’s a sequence of pictures on all the houses Bryan drives past that show the white residents’ wealth, whether it’s the huge sizes of the estates, or the exquisite landscaping and fine architecture, all presenting the ideal suburban community. The following shots show Bryan driving to the other side of town, where African-American residents live, revealing little run-down houses, dirt roads, and no picture-perfect landscaping. Bryan’s moment here is crucial in demonstrating the socioeconomic standing of white people compared to people of color and how more care is given to preserving and maintaining white suburban areas while no one seems to give the minority neighborhoods any attention or care at all.

A critical scene in the film To Kill a Mockingbird in which protagonist Atticus Finch defends in court for the freedom of wrongfully convicted Tom Robinson (from The New York Times).

This film uses a wide range of camera angles, close-up shots, and contrasting lighting to show how social injustice can be recognized through the actions of the characters and the negative effects it has on those impacted. Most of the shot focused on the death row prisoners are close-up shots that help the audience read the characters facial expressions and emotions. The director also chose to include the cell bars in the close-up shots of Johnny D and his prisoner friends, which enhances the characters feeling of being trapped. By using close-up shots on the characters, especially those who experience struggle, it allows the audience to empathize with the characters since they’re looking at their expressions up close and personal. The director also chose to uses different camera angles to add more depth to the characters roles in the film. In most films where there’s a superior authority figure, the shots are usually used with low angles on the subject to emphasize the characters power over others, but in this particular film, the scenes with Bryan and the white authoritative figures that were against him were shot at the same height level, or head-on, to show the viewers that Bryan didn’t let their authority have a hold over him. In reaction to the characters, this film both works for and against gender roles, especially with the women in the film. The director chose to have Bryan’s female associate be a key character in the film which helps with female inclusion in films, but her role was one we’ve seen before, where she works more so like an assistant that helps the main male character rather than a strong prominent female role.

Through Walter McMillian’s true narrative, the director concentrated on the racial injustice system that exists in the United States and how many innocent individuals are punished for crimes they did not commit. By showcasing the life of a prisoner through Walter’s story, along with more true stories about his cellmates, the audience gets to experience what it’s like to get punished for a crime you did not commit, as well as those who are punished unfairly solely based on their ethnicity and background. The director also distinguishes between the life of white superiority and the negative repercussions minorities endure as a result of racial inequality imposed by white individuals in positions of power. The director raises racial awareness through this true narrative, and it allows viewers to reflect on their role in society and how they perceive and treat those of color, specifically those who were wrongfully imprisioned. Compared to similar social problem films I’ve seen, this film takes it to a whole new level of realism. The acting, writing, and overall cinematography of the film adds more a multitude of depth and emotion into the social problem that’s being presented. Furthermore, by portraying the raw and heartbreaking punishments and emotional pain that the inmates and people of color must experience, the film becomes incredibly effective on the viewer.

Film reference: Just Mercy. (R). dir. Destin Daniel Cretton (2019); 136mins

To Kill a Mockingbird Photo: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/theater/to-kill-a-mockingbird-broadway-harper-lee.html