Reflection on what justice means as a society is not only desirable but also necessary. It is the way we translate the morals and ethics of society into practical terms. Sometimes there are undefinitions, but it is through the philosophy of law that we update our legal framework. But for this it cannot be left to lawyers alone to rethink what law and justice mean. Today we will talk about films about law and justice.
There are many means to reflect on a variety of topics, but one of the most popular is cinema. Within the cinema we get dozens of works that address a topic from different perspectives. That is why today we will use cinema as a form of reflection on the sense of justice and its multiple dimensions. We will recommend several films to reflect on law and justice.
Table of Contents.
The law-justice binomial
On the one hand, we have the law as it is written by men. On the other hand, we have justice, in the way we think it should be applied. However, sometimes what is legal does not seem fair to us or what we consider fair is not legal. That is why today we will use some films to evaluate the inconsistency between both dimensions.
Sometimes to preserve the “presumption of innocence” men who could be guilty are left behind bars. Sometimes procedural law avoids by a technicality that a test is used. We also find cases of people who are unjustly accused and remain for years locked up in jail. The law is not perfect and aspires to justice, but to exercise the laws you must have a clean slate for everyone. That is why today, through the movies, we will put law, justice, and laws in the dock.
Films to reflect on law and justice
Below, we present a series of recommendations by Gustavo Mirabal Castro on films about law, justice and the laws
Shawshank Redemption
The movie Shawshank Redemption is a story about law and justice. On the one hand, we have a banker named Andy accused of a double murder. An intelligent man who considers that the system is being turned against him. On the other hand we have the legal system, the prison, the jailers, the prison warden and if that were not enough a good number of dangerous prisoners. Will we find out that Andy is guilty?
Beyond that, Andy manages with his ability to gain the trust of jailers and the prison warden. He helps them with everything he can, and they help him to have a more bearable life. However, in the end Andy is not supported in the really important things, they are friends for convenience. That is why Andy decides that the system no longer gives more than itself and begins his search for justice.
One of the best-considered films of all time. Its release earned poor revenues at the box office. However, time was given to the task of doing justice to the film.
It greatly offset the revenue with a film revival. In addition, Shawshank Redemption received 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. He also received 2 other Golden Globe nominations and 2 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Today it is top of the IMDB ranking and is considered the best film of the nineties. It’s even top-notch in all 250 films in history on the same website.
Shawshank Redemption is a “must-see” for moviegoers and lovers of law. For Gustavo Mirabal Castro it is the best film about justice and law of all time. This film is based on Stephen King’s short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”.
The Green Mile
A story of how an innocent man sentenced to death helps bring justice to himself and others… A story where the harsh reality of the legal system and racism collide with a miracle.
Told in retrospect, at the end of life a jailer assigned to “death row”. It is a place where prisoners await the execution of the death penalty and hope is the only thing left.
One day a burly and huge African American arrives accused of the rape and murder of two girls. The condemned man is called John Coffey and everyone seeing the appearance of the inmate considers him guilty… One of the great challenges of the application of justice is to overcome prejudices.
However, when they see the attitude of the inmate, they begin to doubt the veracity of the sentence. The relationship between jailers and inmates shows us that the bad guys are not always behind bars. On the other hand, the events of the film show us that appearances are deceiving. The law does not always lock up the guilty or release the innocent.
Who is John Coffey really?
Coffey demonstrates his kindness by curing the little mouse of one of the prisoners. The little mouse was cruelly crushed by one of the jailers. There we begin to see that being behind bars is not synonymous with evil, nor is being outside synonymous with goodness.
Thanks to Coffey several kind people receive a second chance. Coffey reveals himself as a force balancing good and evil, a personification of justice.
John Coffey discovers the evil that another prisoner covers up and decides to do justice in a way that kills two birds with one stone. Coffey is innocent, but sometimes the only justice is to end the suffering.
The Green Mile, a film with history full of unexpected twists, miracles, law, and justice.
Films about law and justice to reflect on
Without a doubt, these films show us that law and justice do not always go hand in hand. That is why the philosophy of law and the reflection on it are an opportunity to adapt the laws to the life we dream of. Without a doubt, when the laws are more like justice, we will have a better world. For Gustavo Mirabal Castro, reflection on law, justice and laws is a duty of any citizen in any country in the world.