A FEW GOOD MEN

Synopsis:

The film covers the court-martial of two U.S. Marines, Lance Corporal Dawson and Private
Downey, who killed a fellow Marine, Private Santiago. When Dawson and Downey are later
arrested for Santiagos murder, naval investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne
Galloway suspects that they carried out a code red order, a violent extrajudicial punishment.
Galloway requests to defend them, but instead the case is given to Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, an
inexperienced and unenthusiastic U.S. Navy lawyer. There is initial friction between Galloway,
who resents his tendencies to plea bargains, and Kaffee, who resents her interference. Kaffee and
his friend, Captain Jack Ross, who represents the prosecution, negotiate a bargain but Dawson and
Downey refuse to go along. They insist that they were ordered by Lieutenant Kendrick to shave
Santiagos head, minutes after Kendrick publicly ordered the platoon not to touch the would-be
victim, and did not intend their victim to die. Kaffee is finally won over by Galloway and takes
the case to court.

In the course of the trial, the defense manages to establish the existence of code red
orders at Guantanamo. However, the defense also suffers setbacks when a cross-examination
reveals that Private Downey wasnt actually present when he and Dawson supposedly received the
code red order. Galloway, however, convinces Kaffee to call Colonel Jessup as a witness despite
the risk of being court-martialed for smearing a high-ranking officer. Jessup initially outsmarts
Kaffees questioning but is unnerved when the lawyer points out a contradiction in his testimony;
that he wanted to transfer Santiago off the base for his own safety but if he ordered his men to
leave Santiago alone, he would have been in no danger. Under heavy pressure from Kaffee, Jessup
finally snaps, ultimately confessing to ordering the code red. As he angrily justifies his actions,
Jessup is arrested. Soon afterwards, Dawson and Downey are cleared of the murder charge but
found guilty of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine and dishonorably discharged.
Dawson accepts the verdict but Downey does not understand what they had done wrong. Dawson
explains that they had failed to stand up for those too weak to fight for themselves, like Santiago.
Analysis:

The movie truly exemplifies the tedious, albeit rewarding feeling of a true court-room
litigation. It goes to show that, the essence of true justice is to prove such innocence, or guilt, in
open court, in the face of your fellow men and those who stand accused, as well as their accusers.
A few good men truly embodies the true essence of a lawyer whose lifes goal is the attainment of
justice, in the name of all that is right and true. The adversities faced by the lawyer in dilemma
proves that it takes more than skill and wits to attain true justice. The will and determination of a
lawyer is what will ultimately push him/her to the extreme and face all adversities, and do anything
for the sake of his client.

Acts of Truth v. Legal Truth

Acts of truth is what is also known as absolute truth. It is deemed as such because what is
true for one person, in one location, at a certain point in time, is also true for another person, in a
different place, at a different point in time. An example of such truth is: the sky is blue. the
apple falls from the trees and hits the ground. the fire is hot. Legal truth, on the other hand, is
what is made to be true by observation and agreement of a group of men which is then promulgated
to further spread such truth in the jurisdictional area of the propagators of the said truth. An
example of this is commonly found in the laws enacted. Article 1 of the Family Code of the
Philippines states as follows: Marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man
and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family
life This definition of marriage in the Philippines mandates that marriage can only be
contracted between a man and a woman of legal age. However, in some states in the United States
of America, same sex marriage is being recognized as lawful and constitutional. Legal truth is true
only to some extent, whilst acts of truth is constantly true given any circumstance.