By Libby Stefanich

Just Mercy is a biographical film that follows Harvard lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his clients, especially Walter McMillian. Stevenson advocates for the abolition of death sentences, yet he encounters challenges from Sherrif Tate, who manipulates inmates to fabricate information about their cases. Stevenson starts an Equal Justice Initiative with his partner Eva Ansley in order to ensure justice. This leads them to uncover the erroneous conviction of McMillian for 18-year-old Brenda Morrison’s murder. The story unravels themes of injustice, police brutality, poverty, and relationships.

To Kill a Mockingbird is ironically portraying itself as progressive and asserting that racism doesn’t exist in their governmental system. Performative activism is emphasized. In Alabama, District Attorney Tom Chapman was considered a liberal. In the film, he suggests looking at the To Kill a Mockingbird landmarks but continues to fight for injustice. The electric chair symbolizes how the death penalty isn’t a liable resource, as the film states that many sentenced to death are innocent. The story of Ralph Myers illustrates how the fear of the electric chair can manipulate prisoners. The film shows Black individuals living in poverty are more likely to be sentenced to the death penalty because those individuals are unable to hire a legal representative; justice is made to be unattainable for those inmates. 

The visual cues in the movie are subtle and realistic, adding verisimilitude. For instance, the camera focuses on the actors’ faces with a shallow depth of field to enhance their characterization, while the narrative heavily emphasizes the story. Natural lighting is frequently imitated. During times of distress, it is often dim, white, yellow, or with a blue hue. Blue submerges the shots of Stevenson running after losing the case. In the McMillian family, it is shown that there are more women than men, emphasizing that incarceration targets Black men. When focusing on Minnie McMillian, she feels as though she has to stand by his side, even though he cheated on her. She knows that he is innocent, but her narrative also shows that women are often suppressing their feelings for men.  

Destin Daniel Cretton’s intention was to bring attention to history; it’s a specific and general story about the corruption of the justice system. He spotlights a story that shows how systemic racism exists in governmental systems, the police force and incarceration, and societies, but also how capitalism can impact the Black community. The film shares a common approach of introducing and concluding the topic through textual or anecdotal messages. Although the story itself is incomparable, it serves as an example of the embedded nature of white supremacy in various systems. 

Just Mercy (pg-13) dir. Destin Daniel Cretton (2019); 137 mins.