The Film a Few Good Men - Movie Review Example

Running Head: A FEW GOOD MEN A Few Good Men: Law and Truth Name Class Date A Few Good Men: Law and Truth The film A Few Good Men directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollack, and Jack Nicholson has a complex set of ethical questions and answers that are presented through a trial of two marines accused of hazing a young man who died as a result. The concept of the truth and its value is discussed at length throughout the film, beginning with the concept of making a plea bargain. The film is constructed through the themes of honor, truth, and consideration for sacrifice as the court trial brings to light the meaning of truth and ethical conduct in the context of service. One of the first moments of ethical discussion in the film is when Lt. Daniel Kaffee takes a quick assessment of the evidence while he is batting a baseball and determines what he will present as a plea agreement. Moore, as Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway, points out that he had not talked to any witnesses nor reviewed any of the information but had already made a decision on what his clients deserved in terms of a ‘deal’. The problem with the deal is that it did not reflect the truth in relationship to the truth. At this point in the film Kaffee can be seen as a callous leader. He is heading up a defense and does not care about the guilt or innocence of his clients. It is the influence of Galloway’s highly ethical consideration of the case that eventually changes his mind (Nicolaides & Reiner, 1992). At this point, the toxic qualities that Kaffee shows, as defined by Johnson (2012), include a lack of integrity as he leads his followers into worse situations than they are currently in and he shows an incredible amount of arrogance and ego in the process. If his plea bargain were to go thru the defendants would go from a place where they are innocent and fighting for their own sense of integrity to a place where they admit guilt where it is not true. The plea bargain would mean that everyone in the room would be party of promoting a lie. Galloway, however, will not have the truth ignored and it is through her challenging Kaffee that he begins to rise to the occasion. The second major ethical problem that must be addressed is the truth of guilt or innocence. A court of law, as it is reflected in the movie industry, is a theater in which either one story or another is more plausible. In the film, the lie has been constructed that two men, Pfc. Louden Downey and Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson took it upon themselves to do a ‘code red’ on Pfc. William Santiago because his performance had been sub-standard. This resulted in his death. The truth of this matter is that this was a direct order from the head of Guantanamo Bay, Jack Nicholson’s character Col. Nathan Jessop. This truth is politically inconvenient so this alternate story has been constructed in order to create a story about the man’s death (Nicolaides & Reiner, 1992). Downey and Dawson are in a position of being used to further the political agenda of a powerful man. Downey follows Dawson religiously and Dawson has too much honor to fall on his sword and live a lie. Their dilemma is how to be acknowledged for the truth when they are being accused of a crime through a lie. Dawson has little respect for Kaffee when he first meets him because Kaffee wants him to agree to the plea bargain he has proposed. Dawson wants to be vindicated because his actions were the result of an order. This ethical dilemma is based on his integrity as a soldier in which he has taken an oath of honesty. As well, he does not feel that he should be held responsible for the results of an order that he carried out. The truth can be inflammatory to the public or it can inconveniently reveal a decision that was made where no choice is a good choice. Johnson (2012) quotes Aeschylus for saying “In war, truth is the first casualty”. Similar to the nature inside a court room in relationship to creating a story, war creates a narrative in order to explain its actions in history. What really happens and the ideology of what happens are not really the same. Johnson (2012) uses the case of Pat Tillman, a former National Football League star, who died in Afghanistan, as an example of creating a story in order to fulfill a political and morale based need that was intended to help form a version of history. Tillman was touted as a great war hero who died at the hands of the Taliban while showing extreme bravery. Tillman’s bravery was never in question. The nature of this death, however, did not fit the story that was being told. In the end it was discovered that he had died from friendly fire. In addition to his story, the case recites the story of Jessica Lynch who was captured and in an Iraqi hospital. The story was that she fought the Iraqi soldiers and was overcome and that there was a daring rescue to get her out of the Iraqi hospital. The truth was that she had been knocked unconscious and when the rescuers came to the hospital they met with no resistance. Although this does not diminish her service, reframing the truth does her a disservice. In reframing the truth, there is a suggestion that the truth in either story was not enough. The ethical dilemma in the end of the film is very similar to these stories. This is an effort to control the truth in order to fulfill political agendas. Jessop, Nicholson’s character, tries to assert that he makes decisions that are for the good of the nation and even if that includes a lie, it is in the best interest of everyone that they go along with him. He has come to a place where he thinks that his truth is validated because of his personal importance in the military. His truth has cost the life of a young soldier, the freedom of two other young soldiers, and the life of one of his closest underlings who commits suicide rather than being put in a position to betray him. The reality of the truth means that Jessop will not be allowed to become a General and his military expertise will be lost to the nation. He will also likely lose his freedom. His egotism is the real cause of the outcome; however, as he feels that his future is more important than the truth. When he cries out “You can’t handle the truth!” as Kaffee pushes him to admit to ordering the code red, Jessop asserts that his decisions are beyond approach because of his status and importance (Nicolaides & Reiner, 1992). In his claims to having the power to have absolute authority, he has lost sight of his ethical obligations to not only be righteous, but to be in the right. There are three primary ethical questions that are all based upon the truth in the film. The first is based upon the ethical dilemma of sticking to the truth in the face of the fear of the consequences of going to court and losing. The two accused men choose to stick to the truth and take the chance that the truth will be revealed. The second issue is the issue of the truth and the stories that are contrived within a court room in order to convert belief to either the truth or an untruth. In a court of law, it is not the real truth that is told but a version of the truth or even a lie that will support a finding by the jury. This method of legal maneuvering has caused a great deal of problems within the court systems, and it is made clear that it is an ethical problem of leadership within the film. In addition, the third major ethical problem is found in the efforts of those in authority to control the story in order to convenience a personal agenda. Real leadership will create a truthful story rather than hide behind a convenient lie. This is the primary focus on which the concept of leadership is explored. The film defines leadership as an honor and duty within the context of the military and in the end when Dawson and Downey are vindicated but still kicked out of the military it is Dawson’s monologue that clarifies the issue. He makes it clear that the duty in the military is to protect those who are weaker through ethical and moral behavior and in this they had failed. The character arcs of all the heroes in the story, including Kaffee, are that to find that the truth is always the point of honor and the place from which true integrity is born. Resources Johnson, C. E. (2012). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Los Angeles: Sage. Nicolaides, S. (Producer) & Rob Reiner (Director) (1992). A few good men. [Motion Picture]. United States: Castle Rock Entertainment. Read More