PATHS OF GLORY

The commander of the 701st Regiment, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), is

A voice-over narrator explains that Germany and France entered World War
greeted in his headquarters bunker by Mireau. When Maj. Saint-Auban
I in August, 1914 and, with the construction of a continuous line of fortified
makes a disparaging remark about the enlisted men, Dax takes offense and
trenches stretching from Switzerland to the English Channel, a costly
Mireau asks the major to leave them alone to discuss the coming assault.
military stalemate set in. By 1916, "successful attacks were measured in
Dax is informed by Mireau of his plan to launch an attack on the Anthill,
thousands of yards and paid for by casualties in the hundreds of
for which Dax shows little enthusiasm. Mireau criticizes Dax's lack of
thousands."
enthusiasm and threatens to have him relieved of command if he does not
agree to his plan. Not wishing to be "taken away from my men," the colonel
General George Broulard (Adolphe Menjou), an elderly member of the
reluctantly agrees that the 701st Regiment will (attempt to) take the Anthill.
French General Staff, arrives from Paris at the headquarters (a magnificent
chateau) of his subordinate, General Paul Mireau (George Macready), to
That night, a patrol is ordered to be sent out to reconnoiter no-man's land,
inform him that a major offensive is planned for General Mireau's sector
the space between the opposing trenches. Corporal Paris (Ralph Meeker) is
and, in preparation for this offensive, General Broulard wants Mireau's
among the two men chosen to accompany the half-drunk Lieutenant Roget
division to capture a well-defended German position nicknamed the 'Anthill'.
(Wayne Morris) on this patrol. Cpl. Paris' fellow soldier remarks that the
Mireau balks at the idea, claiming that his division is in no condition to
corporal does seem to like the lieutenant, to which Cpl. Paris replies that he
defend the Anthill, much less capture it. Broulard reluctantly mentions that,
knew Roget before the war and didn't have much respect for him then either.
in a completely unrelated matter, he was thinking that Mireau was due for
Lt. Roget, having sought to bolster his courage with alcohol, leads the patrol
a promotion, not that this should sway his decision concerning the
through the barbed wire, water-filled shell holes, and general wreckage that
feasibility of an attack on the Anthill. After explaining to Broulard at great
is no-man's land. When they come to a halt, Lt. Roget orders the third
length that the men he commands mean more to him than "all the stars and
member of the patrol to scout forward on his own, against the objections of
decorations in France," the ambitious Mireau concludes that an attack on
Cpl. Paris. As they wait for the third soldier to return, Lt. Roget becomes
the Anthill just might work.
increasingly nervous, saying he must have been killed. Finally, in a panic,
Lt. Roget throws a grenade into the darkness and runs back to the French
lines, leaving Cpl. Paris behind. Cpl. Paris, crawling forward, discovers the
Mireau undertakes an inspection of the front line trenches with his loyal
third soldier lying in a shell hole, having been killed by Lt. Roget's grenade.
and cynical staff officer, Major Saint-Auban (Richard Anderson). The general
stops to ask several soldiers (who later become major characters) the
A little later, when Cpl. Paris shows up at Lt. Roget's command bunker, the
question, "Ready to kill more Germans?" When one soldier (Fred Bell) fails
lieutenant acts as if he's happy to see that the corporal is still alive. But Cpl.
to answer, merely staring straight ahead, his comrades reply that the soldier
Paris confronts him with his crimes: drunk on duty, cowardice in the face
is suffering from shell shock. Mireau says there is no such thing as shell
of the enemy, killing a fellow soldier, etc. Lt. Roget pretends to be sorry and
shock. When the general enquires about whether the soldier has a wife, the
points out that a court of inquiry is more likely to believe the word of a
soldier replies that he'll never see her again since he's certain to be killed,
lieutenant than that of a corporal, so Paris might as well forget it all
to which Mireau scolds the soldier for acting like a coward. When the soldier
happened. At that moment Col. Dax arrives to pick up the report on the
replies that he is a coward, Mireau flies into a rage and strikes the soldier
patrol, but Lt. Roget states that it isn't finished yet. Dax clearly sees there's
across the face, yelling that he wants this "little baby" transferred out of the
something going on between Roget and Paris, but doesn't pursue the matter.
regiment. As they continue through the trenches, Maj. Saint-Auban says
that the general was right to do what he did and adds that he thinks that
Dax has a final meeting with his officers to explain how the attack on the
the high morale of the 701st Regiment is the direct result of the general's
following day will proceed. One officer asks what the weather is supposed to
inspections, which Mireau denies, saying that their fighting spirit was just
be like, to which the colonel replies "Too good" -- meaning no rain or fog to
born in them.
provide cover for the troops advancing across no-man's land. Another officer
asks how long they will have to hold the Anthill once they've captured it.
Dax replies that they will have to hold it (against enemy counterattacks) for
the entire day. While the officers discuss the details of the assault, the
enlisted men consider what they will face in the morning. Conversing in
whispers with another soldier, Private Arnaud (Joseph Turkel) considers
what his fellow soldiers are most afraid of: poison gas, high explosive shells,
a bayonet in the gut... He points out that what everyone is afraid of is pain,
not death, since everyone knows that he's going to die some day. His
comrade, rolling over to get some sleep, replies "You're too smart for me,
professor. All I know is, nobody wants to die."
The following morning Mireau, accompanied by his ever faithful lackey Maj.
Saint-Auban, stands in an observation post waiting for the attack to
commence. He offers his fellow officers a drink and they respectfully decline,
leaving the general to toast the success of the assault on his own.
In the trenches, Dax is walking past the men of the 701st Regiment who are
pressed up against the sides for cover against the artillery barrage, which is
intended to screen the men as they advance towards the enemy (this was
known as a 'creeping barrage'). The shells roar overhead and many fall
perilously close, showering Dax and his men with clods of dirt and waves of
dust. (In his initial discussion with Dax about the assault, Mireau included
a figure for the likely percentage of men who would be killed by their own
barrage when calculating the possible casualties. This was, in fact, an
unavoidable reality in the First World War.) A whistle between his teeth and
a revolver in his hand, Dax climbs a ladder as Sergeant Boulanger (Bert
Freed), staring at his wristwatch, counts down "...three, two, one, zero!" As
Dax blows his whistle and waves his men to "go over the top," a mass of
French soldiers emerges from the trenches into the open of no-man's land.
Carrying heavy packs, with their bayonets fixed, the men move forward as
fast as possible, over torn remnants of barbed wire, down into and up out
of shell craters, seemingly an inexorable wave. But shells burst amongst
them and enemy machine gun fire can be heard. The men go down, a soldier
here, another there, and more and more fall, individually and in heaps.
Others behind them step over the bodies, only to drop and add to the piles.
In the deafening confusion, covered in mud, Dax asks a sergeant next to
him where 'B' Company is, to which the sergeant replies he doesn't know.
Mireau in his observation post also notices the failure of 'B' Company to
advance. The general flies into a rage and orders his artillery to commence
shelling the trenches occupied by the troops of 'B' Company in order to force
them to advance (if only to escape from the shelling). The Battery
Commander, Captain Rousseau (John Stein) refuses to comply with
Mireau's order. "Sir, you have no right to order me to shoot down my own
men without an order in writing and signed by the general. What if you're
killed, then where will I be?" The psychopath Mireau replies: "You'll be in
front of a firing squad, that's where you'll be! Hand over your command and
place yourself under arrest for an immediate court-martial!"
Meanwhile, Dax, racing through the wreckage of his trenches, reaches Lt.
Roget and 'B' Company. The drunk Roget pleads with Dax that they've
already tried twice and taken far too many casualties. Ignoring him, Dax
climbs a ladder while blowing his whistle, trying to encourage the men to
"give it another try," only to have a dead soldier falling from above knock
him off the ladder. Around them, all the soldiers are falling back to their
trenches. Mireau is informed in his observation post that the attack has
failed all along the line. He instructs Major Saint-Auban to have the 701st
Regiment pulled out of the line and to assemble a general court-martial. "If
those little sweethearts won't face German bullets, they'll face French ones!"
The following day, Dax meets with Broulard and Mireau at headquarters,
where the cynical Mireau accuses the entire 701st Regiment of cowardice
and proposes to have 100 men from the regiment randomly executed. Dax
strongly objects and Broulard intervenes to break up their argument.
Broulard says they don't want to slaughter the French Army, they just want
to set an example, to which Dax replies that if it's an example that's needed,
the logical choice is the officer most responsible for the attack. (Implying, of
course, that if anyone should face a firing squad, it should be the scumbag
General Mireau.) Broulard loses his temper and shouts, "This is not a
question of officers!" Regaining his composure, Broulard suggests that one
man from each of the regiment's three companies should be chosen to be
tried for cowardice in the face of the enemy. Although he initially objects,
Mireau accepts Broulard's proposal. Before they leave, Dax requests to be
appointed defense attorney for the accused men and Broulard agrees,
chiding Mireau for "hiding" Dax, an obviously talented officer, from him.
(Earlier in the film it's established that Dax was one of France's top attorneys
before the war.) Outside in the hallway, Mireau confronts Dax and virtually
orders him to step down as the defense attorney, but the colonel refuses.
Mireau rails against him for his apparent disloyalty and promises to ruin
his career when this is over. When Mireau catches up with Broulard, they
are met by the Battery Commander, Captain Rousseau, who says that
Mireau had ordered him to meet with the general. Thinking fast, Mireau lies
and says that he wanted to speak to the captain about some of his shells
falling short and dismisses him. Broulard recommends a public hearing, the
last thing Mireau wants, but Mireau talks Broulard out of it and the matter
is forgotten.
Dax meets with the three accused men. They include the intellectual Private
Arnaud, who was randomly picked by lot; Cpl. Paris, who Lt. Roget chose
because he knows what Roget did during the patrol in no-man's land the
night before the battle; and Private Ferol (Timothy Carey), who was chosen
because his Company Commander considered him to be a "social
degenerate." Dax explains that the reason they were chosen is irrelevant,
since they are all charged with cowardice. He explains that he doesn't have
much time (the trial is that afternoon) and he needs to prepare. Dax urges
them to show the same courage that they have shown in the face of the
enemy.
At the chateau, Arnaud, Paris, and Ferol sit in chairs in front of a group of
officers behind tables in a large room. The officer serving as the chief judge
of the Court Martial (Peter Capell) begins the proceedings by calling one of
the men to testify, but Dax immediately objects, pointing out that the men
have the right to hear the charges against them read out. The officer serving
as the chief judge replies that the court does not wish to waste time with
technicalities and that basically the charges are that these three men
showed cowardice in the face of the enemy during the attack on the Anthill.
Having been appointed (by Mireau) as the prosecutor, Maj. Saint-Auban
grills each of the three men in turn, with Dax cross-examining them to show
that they are not cowards, all to little avail. The entire trial is a farce. Dax
sees his men's rights violated by the cynical military judges (who are clearly
acting under the orders of Mireau, sitting nearby). Dax is barred from
entering any evidence relating to the case.
In his closing argument to the judges, Saint-Auban asserts that the actions
of the 701st Regiment during the attack on the Anthill were a stain on the
honor of France and, as such, asks the court to find these men guilty and
impose the penalty of death to make an example of them. Afterwards, Dax
protests in his summation about the nature of the trial. Mireau speaks up,
asking Dax if he questions the legitimacy of the court, to which Dax replies
that he objects to the fact that he was given practically no time to prepare
his case, no written indictment was ever made against the accused, that he
was prevented from introducing evidence that would have been vital for the
defense, that the prosecution presented no witnesses to back up their
claims, and on top of all that, that no stenographic records of the trial were
being kept. He says that the attack by the 701st Regiment on the Antihill
was no stain on the honor of France, but this trial is such a stain. He warns
the officers serving as judges: "Gentlemen of the court, to find these men
guilty would be a crime to haunt each of you till the day you die," and pleads
for mercy. The judges adjourn to deliberate.
The next day, Sgt. Boulanger is placed in charge of the guards for the
prisoners. He strides up and down the line of men under his command,
explaining the regulations and pointing out that he has been made
personally responsible for anything that happens involving these prisoners,
but that he will ensure that, if there are any mistakes, he will pass on any
punishment with interest to the men under his command.
Inside the stable in which they are being held, Arnaud, Paris, and Ferol
consider their options. Ferol thinks he's going to get out of it somehow. Paris
is worried what his wife will think. Eyeing a cockroach on the table, Paris
ruminates over the fact that if he's executed the cockroach will have more
contact with his wife and children than he will, it will be alive, while he'll be
dead. Ferol slams his hand down on the table and mutters, "Now you've got
the edge on him." Dinner is brought in to the men. Ferol is suspicious that
the food is drugged to make them groggy. Arnaud thinks Ferol is being
stupid, but Ferol refuses to eat anyway. Finally a priest (Emile Meyer) arrives
with news of the verdict; they've all been found guilty and will be executed
in the morning. Ferol breaks down and the priest tries to comfort him. The
priest asks Paris if he would like to make his confession, but Paris says that
he's not a religious man and that if he began praying now, he would feel like
a hypocrite. The priest tells him that that would be an error and promises
him that God is there for him and that death comes to us all. Arnaud, being
eaten alive by the injustice of their situation, doesn't take this well and
mocks the priest, holding up a bottle of wine he is drinking and pretends to
pray to it. The priest says that he is there to help them, but Arnaud replies
that back in his home town there was a cafe with an amusing sign above
the bar that read, "Do not be Afraid to Ask for Credit, for Our way of Refusing
is very Polite." Arnaud becomes increasingly angry, while Paris tries to
restrain him, but he breaks free and punches the priest. Paris then gets
between them and warns Arnaud not to try anything, but Arnaud lunges
forward and Paris is forced to slug him. Arnaud stumbles backwards, hitting
his head on a stone column and a doctor is summoned. Having patched him
up as best he could, the doctor remarks that Arnaud has a very serious
skull fracture and he may not live through the night. The priest asks
whether they intend to execute a man in this condition, but the doctor
informs him that the death sentence will be carried out and recommends
pinching his cheek to wake him up in the morning if he still alive, since
Mireau wants him to be conscious when he's executed.
That same night, Lt. Roget arrives at Dax's quarters, asking what the colonel
wanted to see him about. Dax asks Roget why he chose Cpl. Paris to be
court-martialed, saying that, of course the lieutenant had no personal
motives for picking Paris. Visibly nervous, Roget replies that of course he
had no personal reasons for choosing Paris, it was just that someone had to
be chosen. Dax explains that he has the same problem, he has to find
someone to be in charge of the firing squad and asks Lt. Roget if he would
like the assignment. Taken aback, Roget protests by telling Dax he has never
overseen an execution before. Dax explains that it is a simple matter: the
two primary responsibilities are to offer the men a blindfold and to put a
bullet in each man's head after the firing squad has finished. Despite
additional protests by Roget, Dax dismisses him curtly from his quarters,
telling him he's got the job. As Roget is leaving, the Battery Commander,
Captain Rousseau, enters and tells the colonel that he has some information
that may have an important bearing on the courts martial.
Broulard is attending a lavish ball for general officers and other dignitaries
when he is called away to the library, where he privately meets Colonel Dax.
Dax confesses that his is not entirely a social visit, and the general protests
that he doesn't want to go back over the whole affair, though he admits that,
judging from the casualty reports, the 701st Regiment did make a serious
effort. Dax asks him why, if that is true, the three men should be executed.
Broulard says perhaps the attack was doomed to fail, but, on the other
hand, with a little more effort, the 701st might have captured the Anthill.
Broulard then gently accuses Dax of taking a narrow view of things,
reminding him that the general staff is subjected to all sorts of unfair
pressures from the press and politicians. Moreover, there's the matter of the
troops' morale. "You see, colonel, troops are like children, and just as a child
wants his father to be firm, troops crave discipline, and one way to ensure
discipline is to shoot a man now and again." Dax asks the general, "Do you
sincerely believe the things you've just said?" Broulard, making a tactical
retreat, excuses himself to return to the party, but as they walk towards the
door Dax brings up the subject of Mireau's order for his artillery to fire on
his own troops during the attack. Broulard immediately slams the door to
the library shut and turns around to face Dax while he continues to describe
what happened. The general asks Dax if he expects him to believe something
so fantastic. Dax produces the signed statements of Battery Commander
Rousseau, the telephone operator, and his own observations, asking the
general what the press and politicians would do with such material should
it ever be made public. Losing his temper, Broulard shouts "Are you trying
to blackmail me?!" Dax calmly explains that "too much has happened and
someone has to take the blame. The question is who? A general launches
an impossible attack and, on the same day, orders his artillery to fire on his
own men. But when that same general tries to have three innocent men
executed, those men are saved by the intervention of the general staff."
Broulard pauses for a moment with the documents in his hand. Looking up
at Dax, "If you'll excuse me colonel. I've been rude to my guests for too long."
Broulard exits the room, leaving Dax alone.
At dawn the next morning, Sgt. Boulanger opens the door to the stable to
announce that it's time to leave. Cpl. Paris, struggling to act normal, tells
the sergeant that he missed some great food the previous night. When the
sergeant asks what they had, Paris can't answer, but asks if the sergeant
has anything to drink. The sergeant hands him a canteen and tells him to
take a swig. Paris begins to laugh, telling the sergeant that remarkably he
hasn't had one sexual thought since the court martial and then crumbles
to the ground weeping. The sergeant tells Paris to pull himself together, but
Paris, sobbing, asks why he has to die. The sergeant reminds him that many
of his comrades are likely to die in the near future in combat, but Paris, still
sobbing, says he doesn't care, he still doesn't want to die. Finally, Sgt.
Boulanger tells Paris that they have to go and that there are reporters
present; how does he want to be remembered by his wife and children?
Either he can walk out or be dragged out, in the end it's the same. Cpl. Paris
collects himself, stands up and puts on his cap.
With the rolling sound of drums in the background, the men of the 701st
Regiment, standing at attention, are lined up on both sides of a path in a
huge courtyard in front of a chateau on a beautiful sunny morning. The
three condemned men slowly make their way down the path: Paris marching
upright, staring straight ahead, Arnaud, unconscious and strapped to a
stretcher, is carried along, and Ferol, completely unhinged, sobbing
uncontrollably, has his arm around the priest who is accompanying him.
They pass row upon row of soldiers; they pass the Regimental Band, drums
still rolling; they pass a press photographer who takes their picture; they
pass Broulard and Mireau, and they pass Dax. Finally they reach the posts
they will be tied to in front of a wall of sandbags. Off to the side is a flatbed
wagon with three coffins on it. The drums stop. The only noise is the sound
of the firing squad's boots on the loose gravel as they march into position,
with the cowardly Lt. Roget in command. Roget walks forward with
blindfolds. Arnaud's stretcher is tilted up against the pole and the Sergeant
pinches his cheek. In a groggy state, Arnaud looks with horror at the scene
and appears to pass out once more. Skipping Arnaud, Roget offers Ferol a
blindfold and, still crying, he accepts. Roget then comes over to Paris and
asks if he wants a blindfold. Paris angrily says "no". Roget meekly says he's
sorry for what he's done to him. Paris doesn't speak, but nods his head,
implying that he accepts Roget's apology. Roget marches back to the firing
squad, while Major Saint-Auban comes forward and, in a weak and halting
voice (in complete contrast to his performance as the evil and cynical
prosecutor) he reads out loud the orders for the execution. For a moment
the only sounds are the chirping of the birds on a sunny morning. Lt. Roget
shouts out: "Ready, aim, fire!"
A little later in the château over breakfast, Mireau expresses his pleasure
that the executions went so well, that none of the condemned men spoiled
it by doing something that would leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. "It
had a certain splendor about it." Broulard, choosing his words carefully,
notes that he has never seen an affair of this kind carried out so well. When
Dax arrives, the gloating Mireau compliments him on his men dying well.
Angry and disgusted, Dax says nothing. Suddenly, and to Dax's surprise,
Broulard mentions to Mireau that the colonel had come to him the night
before claiming that during the attack on the Anthill, Mireau had ordered
his artillery to fire on his own men. Mireau flatly denies the allegation, but
Dax states that he has signed testimony from numerous witnesses.
Broulard says that it doesn't matter for he's certain that the general will
come through it. "Come through what?" asks Mireau with concern. "There
will have to be an investigation. An inquiry," but, Broulard notes, "the public
will forget." Horrified, General Mireau stands up and shouts: "So I'm the
scapegoat, the only completely innocent man in this whole affair!" Aware
that his military career days are numbered, Mireau storms out of the room,
claiming himself to be a true soldier.
After Mireau leaves, Broulard comments that France's armies and military
destiny cannot be guided by arrogant fools like General Mireau and then,
turning to Dax, asks: "How would you like to have General Mireau's job?"
Dax is again taken completely by surprise, and replies "You're offering me
General Mireau's command?" The elderly general responds "Come come, my
boy, we all know you've been after it from the start." Dax responds angrily:
"I am a lot of things, but I am not your boy." Broulard sternly tells Dax not
to get defensive around him, but with Mireau's days in the French Army
numbered and aware that he will be forced to resign his command
regardless of the inquiry to be brought on him, his command needs a
replacement and Broulard assumes that Dax will do just right and it would
be a shame for Dax to lose the promotion before it is ever given to him. Dax
replies: "General, would you like me to suggest what you can do with that
promotion?" Broulard becomes furious with Dax and shouts: "Colonel Dax,
you shall apologize at once or I will have you placed under arrest!" Speaking
in a subtle tone that quickly turns into anger Dax replies: "I apologize.... for
not being completely honest. I apologize for not showing my true feelings. I
apologize for not telling you sooner that you're a sick, degenerate, heartless,
sadistic old man. And you can go to hell before I apologize to you now or
ever again!"
Briefly stunned by Dax's furious and defiant outburst, Broulard slumps
back and sighs, now realizing that he was wrong about Dax. In a calm tone,
Broulard shakes his head and responds by saying: "Colonel Dax, you are a
disappointment to me. You've spoiled the keenness of your mind by
wallowing in sentimentality. You really did want to save those three men...
and you were not angling for General Mireau's command." The impassive
and unfeeling Broulard then ridicules Dax by adding: "You're not a soldier.
You're an idealist. For that I pity you as I would the village idiot. We're
fighting a war, Dax. A war we've got to win. Those men wouldn't fight, so I
had them shot; you brought charges against Mireau, so I demanded that he
answer to them. Wherein have I done wrong?" Dax replies, "You really don't
know the answer to that. I pity you for that." Dax leaves.
Now outside, Dax wanders over to a tavern where he hears men from his
regiment having a good time. (It's not clear if these are merely troops from
the 701st or, perhaps, the men from the firing squad.) The proprietor (Jerry
Hausner) brings a young German woman (Susanne Christaina), who is
clearly frightened, on stage to entertain the troops. The men hoot and
whistle and jeer; "Talk in a civilized language!" one yells out. Dax, standing
outside, cringes in disgust, seeming to reflect his general disillusionment
with not only generals Mireau and Broulard, but the entire human race. But
as the girl begins to sing the German folk song, "The Faithful Hussar", the
catcalls and whistles gradually die down and the men, captivated by the
only decent, innocent being they've come in contact with for a very long time,
begin to hum along; some of them even begin to shed tears.
Outside the tavern, Sgt. Boulanger appears before Dax with word that the
701st Regiment has been ordered to return to the front. Dax, his faith in
common humanity restored, tells the sergeant to give the men a few minutes
more, and walks away to his office as his smile turns into a hardened look
once again.
OTHER VERSION
In 1916, on the Western front during World War I, prolonged trench warfare
between the French and the Germans breeds hopelessness among the Allied
soldiers. To ensure himself a promotion, ambitious division commander
Gen. Mireau accepts the proposition of his commanding officer, Gen.
Broulard, that he take the difficult, if not impossible target of Ant Hill, a
German stronghold. Broulard's subtle but convincing argument is prompted
by his need to silence civilian criticism about the standoff. Mireau then tours
the trenches delivering false hope and informing Col. Dax, a former criminal
lawyer and commander of three regiments on the front line, that his
regiment must take Ant Hill despite knowing that he will lose over half his
men. When Mireau boasts that "France is depending on you," Dax replies
under his breath that "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." Mireau
then threatens to furlough him from his men, forcing Dax to accept the
assignment. That evening Dax sends Lt. Roget, Corp. Paris and Pvt. Lejeune
on a reconnaissance patrol to Ant Hill. After crawling yards under wire and
over muddy trenches, the three come within several hundred feet of the hill,
where Roget sends Lejeune ahead to investigate a noise. When Lejeune fails
to return immediately, a panicky Roget throws a grenade at the hill and
darts back to the regiment. Paris runs to the hill to save his friend but finds
Lejeune has been burnt alive by the grenade. Returning to camp, Paris
accuses Roget of murdering one of his own men, but Roget caustically
reminds him that no one will believe the word of a corporal over that of a
lieutenant. Later that night, after Dax prepares his men to take Ant Hill the
next morning, the soldiers discuss the likelihood of surviving, admitting that
they fear pain more than actual death. Early the next morning, Dax orders
his men out of the trenches and onto the battlefield using his whistle. As
Dax presses ahead, his men fall to the left and right of him under heavy
enemy fire until he realizes that the second force, Company B, has not taken
to the battlefield. Returning to the trenches, Dax finds that his men have
fallen back and a cowering Roget has failed to order Company B into action,
claiming that the attack is already lost. Meanwhile, Mireau, realizing the
battle is lost, orders his troops to open fire on the men in the trenches. When
artillery commander Capt. Pelletier refuses to obey, insisting that the order
must be in writing, Mireau threatens to arrest him and states that if the
troops will not "face German bullets, they'll face French ones." The next day
at the headquarters, Mireau accuses Dax of cowardice in the face of the
enemy and calls for one hundred of his men to be court-martialed and
executed. When Dax snidely offers that they shoot the entire regiment or,
better yet, shoot him, Broulard diplomatically suggests that each company
commander select one man to stand trial. Powerless to stop his superiors,
Dax requests that he be allowed to act as defense counsel for his men.
Within hours the three men have been chosen and imprisoned in a cell,
where Dax learns why they were chosen: Roget named Paris because he
witnessed Roget throwing the grenade at Lejeune, Pvt. Arnaud was chosen
by chance and Pvt. Ferol attributes his fate to being a social misfit. At the
informal trial held at French headquarters in a lavish chateau, the judges
refuse to read the full indictment against the men or have any transcription
taken of the trial, despite Dax's protests. The first to testify, Ferol admits
that he retreated, but when Dax questions him further, Ferol reveals that
he made the decision when he realized he was facing the enemy with only
one other soldier alive. When Dax reads Arnaud's citation of merit and
bravery for other battles, the court dismisses the evidence as immaterial.
While on the stand, Paris admits that he did not leave the trenches because
he had been knocked unconscious, but the court insinuates that without
witnesses, Paris could be lying. After the prosecutor makes his closing
statements accusing the men of creating "a stain on the honor of France,"
Dax is outraged by the illegal proceedings and warns the court that the
crime they commit in finding these men guilty without a proper trial will
stain their reputations. The men are returned to their cell where, soon after,
a priest announces their guilty verdict and tries to prepare them for their
execution by firing squad set for the next morning. When the priest asks
Arnaud for his confession, the drunken soldier accuses him of sanctimony
and lunges to hit him. Paris stops Arnaud with a punch that throws the
soldier into a brick wall, resulting in a near-fatal head injury. Meanwhile,
Dax orders the cowardly Roget to be in charge of the firing squad and then
goes to Broulard with written testimony from several soldiers regarding
Mireau's orders to fire on his own men during the Ant Hill attack, hoping
that the general will change the court's verdict. However, the next morning
the execution proceeds on schedule. While walking to the firing posts
between two long lines of their own comrades, Paris manages to keep his
composure and bravery to ensure that his wife and children will have fond
memories of him, while Ferol breaks down, sobbing in the priest's arms.
Arnaud, who is carried on a stretcher, has his cheeks pinched so that he is
conscious as the squad takes aim. Forced to ask the men if they want a
blindfold, Roget approaches Paris and apologizes only seconds before all
three are shot. Later that night, after Dax is called into Broulard's quarters,
the general informs Mireau that Dax has presented him with sworn
statements that Mireau ordered firing on his own men. Broulard casually
mentions that an inquiry will be necessary to clear Mireau, but all three
men realize this will end Mireau's career. After Mireau self-righteously
reminds the men that he is a soldier and storms out, Broulard calls Dax his
"boy" and offers him Mireau's job. Incensed by his duplicity, Dax calls
Broulard a "degenerate, sadistic old man," prompting the general to suggest
Dax suffers from sentimentality. Once outside, Dax is drawn by the sound
of his men's applause for a German female prisoner who is being forced to
sing for them. As the sobbing woman sings a folk song, the soldiers begin to
hum along to the familiar melody. Dax must order his men to return to the
front immediately, but allows them a few sobering moments as they
recognize their humanity in the song as a respite from the war's brutality.
THE GREEN MILE
The movie begins with an old man named Paul Edgecomb (Dabbs Greer) in
a retirement center. He takes two pieces of dry toast from an orderly, who
mentions Paul's habit for taking walks outside the ground. The orderly is
worried about Paul, but allows him to continue with his daily routine.
Paul and several other residents are watching TV when an old movie with
Fred Astaire dancing to the song "Heaven" is on. Paul sees it and walks
away, followed by his friend Elaine (Eve Brent). Elaine realizes that the
movie has awakened some powerful memories for Paul, and asks about it.
Paul tells Elaine his story: that he was a prison guard during the
Depression, in charge of Death Row, informally called "The Green Mile,"
because of its green tile floor. Paul's most powerful memory of this time took
place in 1935....
The story then flashes back to the 1930's at the State Prison, where a young
Paul Edgecomb (now played by Tom Hanks) suffers from a urinary infection.
Some of the other guards- Brutus "Brutal" Howell (David Morse), Dean
Stanton (Barry Pepper) and Harry Terwilliger (Jeffrey DeMunn) bring in a
new inmate. His name is John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) "like the
drink, only not spelled the same." He is a gigantic muscular man, but when
Paul talks to John they find that he has the mindset of a small child- very
meek and apparently scared of the dark.
When John is brought in, another guard named Percy Wetmore (Doug
Hutchison) is sent off Death Row to attend to work elsewhere. Percy is not
happy about this, and in frustration he lashes out at another inmate named
Eduard Delecroix (Michael Jeter), breaking Del's fingers. Paul is given a copy
of John Coffey's records and finds that he was sent to Death Row after being
convicted for the murder (and implied rape) of two small girls. John Coffey
does not mention his crime, only stating that he "tried to take it back, but
it was too late."
Later on, Paul is outside when he is met by Warden Hal Moores (James
Cromwell). Hal gives Paul the execution papers for an inmate named
Bitterbuck, and has a conversation with him about the young guard named
Percy. It's revealed that Percy is the nephew of the governor's wife, and his
powerful political connections are what got him hired- and keep him in the
job, because Percy is apparently "stupid and mean" according to the other
guards. Paul finds out that Percy has put in to be an administrator at a
mental hospital, which would mean better pay and better hours. Paul
theorizes that Percy wants to witness an execution up close before moving
onto a new job. Warden Moores also mentions that his wife, Melinda, is not
well she suffers from bad headaches and must have an X-Ray in order to
find the source of the problem. That night, Paul meets with his wife Jan
(Bonnie Hunt) and discusses the problem with Hal's wife.
Next day, Brutus spots a mouse in the cell block. They watch it run into a
small room in the corner, which turns out to be a padded room for
dangerous inmates but is currently used for storage. The guards check
everything in the room but do not find the mouse. A few hours later, Percy
spots the mouse and goes into a fury trying to kill it. Paul berates Percy for
scaring the inmates in his pursuit of the mouse. Percy doesn't care, thinking
the inmates are contemptible. Paul feels differently, believing that under
enough strain the inmates would "snap" and cause serious problems.
Brutus grabs Percy, but Percy threatens to use his connections as nephew
to the governor's wife to get the others fired if they hurt him.
Paul and the others do a rehearsal for the next execution, with the prison's
elderly janitor, Toot-Toot (Harry Dean Stanton) helping them. Paul instructs
Percy to watch and learn while the others prep the electric chair. That night,
the execution of inmate Arlen Bitterbuck is carried out. Afterward, Paul
confronts Percy about his new job opportunity. Percy reveals that he wants
to "be out front" (meaning placed in charge of an inmate's execution) before
he leaves.
Next day, the inmate named Del has found the mouse again, named it "Mr.
Jingles" and is trying to tame it. The mouse is able to fetch a spool of thread
as a trick. The other guards allow Del to keep Mr. Jingles as a pet.
Paul meets with Warden Hal again, getting word of a new inmate coming in,
a man named William Wharton who killed three people in a holdup. Hal is
almost in tears; the doctors have told him that his wife Melinda has a tumor
the size of a lemon in her brain, virtually inoperable and eventually fatal.
That night, Paul suffers from his urinary infection even more; he is almost
in constant pain.
Paul intends to see the doctor next day after the new inmate is brought in.
Percy and Harry go to retrieve Wharton from a hospital, where he is in an
apparent trance presumably from medication. As soon as Wharton gets
inside, he springs to life, attacking the guards and kneeing Paul in the groin.
Dean is nearly strangled before anyone can get Wharton under control.
When the others go to report what has happened, John Coffey asks to speak
with Paul. When Paul approaches John's cell, John grabs Paul and puts his
hand over Paul groin. John holds on for several seconds, until the lights
flare brightly. John then lets go, coughing and gasping until he releases a
cloud of gnat-like spores from his mouth. Paul asks what happened, but
John can only say that "I helped." Later when Paul visits the washroom, he
feels no pain at all. John Coffey's act has healed his infection.
The next morning, Paul goes into town to see John Coffey's public defender,
Burt Hammersmith (Gary Sinise) who preceded over John's trial. Burt is
absolutely convinced of Coffey's guilt. Back at the prison, Paul presents
John with a loaf of cornbread baked by his wife, as a thanks for Coffey's
"help". Coffey shares the cornbread with Del & Mr. Jingles, but does not give
any to Wharton. This enrages Wharton, who takes his fury out on the
guards, urinating on Harry. The guards use a fire hose to catch Wharton off
guard, then wrap him up in a straitjacket and send him to the padded room.
When Wharton spits on them later, he is sent to the room again.
The rehearsal for Eduard Delecroix's execution takes place the next day.
Paul has decided to put Percy in charge, in the hope that he will finally leave
the prison right afterward. When Percy walks by the cells later, he is grabbed
by Wharton. Percy wets himself in terror, and threatens the men to never
mention this. Paul states that "what happens on the Mile, stays on the Mile."
They will not say anything about what happened. Del, however, delights in
Percy being humiliated.
Later on, Mr. Jingles runs across the room between cells. Percy walks up
and stomps on the mouse, coldly uncaring about what he has done leaving
Del screaming in shock. John Coffey asks for the mouse, so Paul picks it up
and hands it to John. The other guards watch in shock, awe, and possibly
horror as light shines from John's hands. John coughs, releases another
cloud of spores, and Mr. Jingles runs across the room- good as new.
Percy, seeing that the mouse is uninjured, is furious- thinking the guards
have set out to make a fool out of him. Paul confronts Percy and gives him
an ultimatum- Percy will transfer out immediately after Delecroix's
execution, or the others will go public about Percy's record of mistreatment
of the prisoners and his behavior on the Mile. Percy agrees.
Just before he "walks the Mile" to the electric chair, Del gives Mr. Jingles to
Paul knowing that he will be taken care of. When Paul points out that he
cannot have a mouse sitting on his shoulder during an execution, John
Coffey volunteers to take care of Mr. Jingles.
Percy sets everything up for Del's execution, with one small exception- he
does not properly soak the sponge required for proper electric conduction,
wanting to punish Del one more time. As a result, the execution is
excruciating for Del and the entire horrified audience- he rolls in pain,
screaming and even catches fire before finally dying.
The guards confront Percy, but Paul tells them that Percy isn't worth fighting
over and that he will still honor their agreement to leave.
Paul and his wife go to visit Hal and Melinda the next day. Hal reveals that
Melinda is rapidly falling apart, she is losing her memory and experiencing
severe behavior changes including uncontrollable cursing. Paul invites the
other guards (minus Percy) to dinner later and discusses John Coffey's acts
of healing both him and Mr. Jingles. Paul states that he wants to sneak
John Coffey out to try and heal Melinda. The others are very skeptical,
pointing out that Coffey is a convicted murderer, and it would be disastrous
if they are found or if he escapes. Paul puts forth his belief that Coffey is
innocent; Paul "does not see God putting a gift like that in the hands of a
man who would kill a child."
The next day, they carry out the plan- Paul drugs Wharton so he will not
see them leaving, then the others gag Percy and put him in the padded room
as supposed "retribution" for Eduard Delecroix. They open up John Coffey's
cell, and he is excited at the prospect of going for a ride outside and also
seems to already know what they want him to do . John agrees to try and
help Melinda. Wharton grabs Coffey as they head out, and John is
apparently horrified by what he sees when touching Wharton.
They arrive at Hal's home, and Hal threatens them with a shotgun. Paul
talks him down while Coffey goes upstairs to meet Melinda. John gets very
close to Melinda's face and something comes out of her mouth and into his,
making the light in the room shine intensely. John breaks the connection
with her, falling down coughing. Melinda sits up, looking much healthier
and having no memory of anything that happened before her X-Ray. Hal
collapses, weeping at his wife's restoration. John continues to cough, unable
to release the "spores" like before. Melinda gives Coffey a pendant with the
mark of St. Christopher-the healer- as a present.
John returns to the prison, still very ill from the encounter. Percy is released,
apparently keeping silent but the others still fear that he might talk. John
grabs Percy, releasing the spores directly into Percy's mouth. Percy, in a
daze, walks over to Wharton's cell and empties his revolver into Wharton's
chest. The others seize Percy, who leans back and coughs up the remaining
black spores. Upon examination, Percy appears to be catatonic. He is
eventually sent to a mental hospital (ironically the same place where he was
supposed to be an administrator) for presumably the rest of his life.
Coffey repeats that Wharton and Percy were "bad men," and places his hand
on Paul. Paul sees that Wharton was responsible for the murder John Coffey
was convicted for. Now that he knows Coffey is innocent, Paul is unsure how
to proceed. He talks to his wife that night and he suggests talking to John
about it. He even asks Coffey if they should just "let him go." Coffey does not
want to escape; he reveals that in addition to healing he can also feel the
pain of all others around him and does not wish to continue with such pain
in the world. Paul offers John a last request; Coffey states that he has always
wanted to see a "flicker show" (a motion picture). They bring in a movie
projector with the film "Top Hat," the same movie that the elderly Paul was
watching at the beginning of the movie, which is what triggered Paul's
memories particularly when Fred Astaire is dancing to "Heaven" and John
watches in awe saying "they like angels!"
That night, John Coffey is put to death as the guards watch on in tears. The
elderly Paul's voice cuts in and states that he left The Green Mile soon after,
unable to carry on after seeing John Coffey die. He and some of the others
transferred to a youth corrections' facility.
Elaine admits that Paul's tale is "quite a story," and does not apparently
believe it. She also points out that Paul mentioned his son being grown up
in 1935, which means he should be much older than he appears.
Paul takes Elaine on a walk, and they come to a cabin in the woods. There
is a mouse sleeping in a small box; Elaine is shocked to meet Mr. Jingles-
Paul found the mouse again after Coffey's execution and has kept him ever
since. Paul states that he is now 108 years old, and that he believes John
Coffey "infected him [and Mr. Jingles] with life." Paul feels that this is his
punishment for killing a genuine miracle of God- he must stay alive and
watch everyone he cares about, including friends like Elaine, grow old and
die before his own death.
Later, Paul is seen at Elaine's funeral, quietly wondering just how much
longer he has to go. "We each owe a death," he states, "There are no
exceptions. But oh God, sometimes The Green Mile seems so long."
PIERREPOINT: THE LAST HANGMAN
Albert Pierrepoint trains to be a prison executioner, as his father had been
before him. Pierrepoint views his job with seriousness and dedication,
applying science and logic to each hanging. He can swiftly determine the
proper length for the gallows rope, depending on the height, weight, and
physical condition of the condemned. While not a cruel or cold-hearted man
by any means, Pierrepoint simply views execution as any other job, and is
not as visibly emotionally affected by it as some of his co-workers.
As Albert's talent for the field begins to be noticed by the British government,
he and his wife Annie are excited for the new opportunities awaiting him.
He is eventually told that he is the best executioner in Britain, and that he
will be England's proof of their swift, efficient, and humane execution
system. Pierrepoint is sent to Germany to hang 47 Nazi war criminals after
the Belsen trials in 1945. While he is staggered by the number of deaths he
must conduct, he carries out his duties. Pierrepoint's inner values begin to
emerge in his work when one of the bodies is left without a coffin. Pierrepoint
angrily demands the coffin, saying that the man had paid the ultimate price
and should now be treated with dignity.

Albert slowly begins to find his work emotionally draining. He becomes a
local celebrity, with many neighbours applauding him for "stringing up"
criminals, and others criticizing him for enforcing capital punishment. He
and Annie purchase a nearby pub, which draws in good business due to
Albert's fame.
Pierrepoint receives a shock one morning when he must execute a friend of
his, James Corbitt, who is known to Albert as "Tish." Corbitt is a meek-
looking man, but had murdered his ex-lover in a jealous rage. Though
Pierrepoint knows he must perform his job, he breaks his usual stoic
demeanor and speaks kindly and calmly to Tish, who meets his fate in an
almost content state. His last words are 'Thank you, Albert," and he smiles
as the hood is put over his head.
Pierrepoint goes to his pub that night and expresses his anguish to his wife.
Annie is uncomfortable hearing Albert's inner turmoil, as their rule
regarding his occupation had always been "never talk about it." Albert
breaks down and confesses the guilt and misery he felt as he watched his
friend hang by his own hand. He considers resigning from his profession
altogether.
Pierrepoint later executes Ruth Ellis, a young, pretty woman accused of
killing her lover. Angry mobs outside the prison protest the execution, and
Pierrepoint's car is spat on and shaken as he drives home. After conducting
over 600 executions and setting the fastest ever hanging record (7.5
seconds), Albert Pierrepoint officially resigns.
THE LIFE OD DAVID GALE
A University of Texas professor of philosophy and capital punishment
abolitionist, David Gale, is on Death Row convicted of the rape and murder
of his best friend, Constance Harraway, who was the leader of the local
branch of Death Watch, an organization campaigning against the death
penalty. Days before his execution, skeptical journalist Bitsey Bloom is sent
by the weekly news magazine where she works to conduct David Gale's final
interview. She is accompanied by intern reporter, Zack Stemmons.
Gale's lawyer is Braxton Belyeu, an ageing eccentric with a long ponytail.
We learn that Gale asked specifically for Bloom, and will talk only to her.
They are to have two hours on each of three consecutive days, after which
Gale will be executed at 6 o'clock in the evening of the fourth day. Belyeu
and Stemmons leave the prison and Gale starts to tell Bloom his story,
which we see in a series of flashbacks.
Gale's marriage was in difficulties, and relations with his wife Sharon
strained, but he was devoted to his small son Jamie. We see Gale lecturing
on philosophy to a large class of students. Then a couple of minutes before
the end of the lecture period a beautiful female student named Berlin arrives
noisily and Gale pauses while she takes her seat. As the students leave after
dismissal, Berlin apologizes for being late and tells Gale she'll do "anything"
for a better term mark. He tells her quietly but firmly that the way to get a
better mark is to study. However, not long after that Gale finds himself one
evening at a party with faculty and students, and Berlin catches him alone
in a luxurious bathroom. Locking the door, she tells him she isn't his
student any more (since she's been expelled from school), and that she
wants sex with him anyway.
Gale gives in to temptation but soon finds himself accused of rape. His world
falls apart: he loses his university post; his wife leaves him, taking their son,
selling their house and moving to Spain; even the national leader of Death
Watch (by phone) wants local organizer Constance Harraway to have no
more to do with him. We see Gale sitting distraught on the step of the path
to his house front door, clutching his little boy's favorite soft toy to him, as
his wife and son are driven away in a taxi; we see him in a conversation with
a university dean who explains there is no way he can give Gale a job
because of his reputation; and we see him in an interview attempting to get
a job in business and hopelessly lost when asked to give three reasons why
they should hire him. Gale, now jobless and homeless, turns heavily to
drink; we see him in a bar, then staggering along a crowded sidewalk at
night shouting about Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to passers-by; and at
last he winds up on the porch of his only remaining friend in the world,
Constance Harraway. He now learns, as a result of an emergency when she
has to go to hospital, that she is dying of leukemia. He has to sleep off his
drunken stupor on a seat in the hospital corridor. After she is home again,
Constance is talking to David one evening about her one regret in life, that
she didn't have more sex. He offers and, having assured her it isn't out of
pity, she accepts. He leaves in the morning but she is subsequently found
dead --- naked, handcuffed behind her back, with her mouth taped over
with gaffer tape, and suffocated by a plastic bag that is over her head and
taped round the neck. An autopsy reveals that she had swallowed the
handcuff key. David Gale's semen is also found inside her. A tripod --- on
which no fingerprints were found --- is present, though no camera or
videotape is found.
Bloom and Stemmons visit Harraway's former house, which has been
turned into a sort of museum with a "tour" of the crime scene by the current
tenant Nico, a plump young woman with a goth appearance.
After the prison visit one afternoon, Bloom and Stemmons collect half a
million dollars in cash in a shiny brief case. The money is the "fee" paid by
their magazine to Gale for the exclusive interview. They then return to their
motel to find her door blocked open with a roll of gaffer tape, and a videotape
cassette suspended by a string from the ceiling of her room, labelled with
her name. They borrow a video player from the motel manager and are
profoundly shocked to find that the tape has the last few minutes of
Constance Harraway's life, of her naked, cuffed and suffocating on her
kitchen floor.
From time to time while driving between the motel and the prison, Bloom
and Stemmons have noticed a lean figure of a man in a stetson hat,
apparently following or watching them. They discover who this man is:
Dusty Wright, a secretive loner but a follower and admirer of Constance
Harraway. Bloom delivers the attaché case full of cash to the lawyer Belyeu's
office, and spies Wright entering just as she is leaving.
Assuming that Gale is telling the truth when protesting his innocence of the
rape and murder, there is speculation as to who did the murder and
apparently framed him. Candidates include some mysterious group trying
to discredit the abolitionist cause.
However, after the third and last interview with David Gale at the prison, at
the end of which he takes his leave saying he'll be dead by the end of the
next day, Bloom and Stemmons return to the "museum" with handcuffs and
gaffer tape, and Bloom re-enacts the death scene using the handcuffs, the
tape, and a plastic bag. She tells Stemmons to wait three minutes before
freeing her, but he and Nico can't bear to watch her struggle and he has to
tear the bag open, afraid Bloom is actually suffocating herself. The outcome
of the experiment, given what they know about her dedication to her cause
and the fact she had only a short time to live anyway, is their conclusion
that there was no murder: Constance Harraway committed suicide,
deliberately intending to make it look like murder of her by Gale, because of
his ruined reputation after the affair with the girl Berlin. She had willingly
made love to Gale in the hours before killing herself, setting him up for the
additional charge of rape.
They then realize that, having been given the brief tape, there must exist a
full recording of the suicide, and that Harraway's purpose was almost
certainly to have Gale exculpated at the last possible moment by production
of the recording that must prove she committed suicide unaided. However,
whoever was supposed to produce the tape has not done so. They realize
that this must be Dusty Wright, and that he has an agenda of his own.
Jealous of Gale's relationship with Harraway, he has not produced the full
tape recording because if saving Gale at the last minute would make news
as a momentous case against the death penalty, allowing Gale to die before
revealing that he was innocent would make the case even more strongly.
At the last minute, they go to Wright's home and Bloom searches frantically
for the full tape, while Stemmons keeps watch for any sign of Wright. She
finds the tape, having to play it through and watch it to see that it is what
she needs. After Hallaway dies, Dusty Wright appears in front of the camera,
showing that he helped the woman in her plot against Gale. There is then a
frantic journey to the prison, to try to get there and have the tape seen before
Gale is executed. The car breaks down some distance away and the final
scenes are of Bloom frantically running along the street trying to reach the
prison before the deadline. We see the ritual leading to the execution being
followed. There are calls from the state Governor's office giving final go-
ahead. Outside the prison, we see a large group of demonstrators from
Death Watch, part of a large crowd including police officers.
Bloom reaches the crowd and makes her way through the throng only to
hear an announcement from a prison official that Gale had died some
minutes earlier.
Back at her desk at work, Bitsy Bloom receives a Fedex package containing
the favorite soft toy of Gale's young son Jamie, left behind with the father
when the son went abroad. Inside it is a video cassette with an additional
segment at the end revealing that Gale was in the kitchen when Hallaway
committed suicide. In this way Gale wanted to relieve the journalist from the
guilt of not saving him.
Meanwhile Dusty Wright, very smartly dressed now, travels to Europe and
delivers the silver attaché case full of cash as well as a postcard proving his
innocence in his earlier alleged rape to the new residence of Sharon Gale.
He rings the apartment doorbell and disappears, leaving the case
anonymously at front of the door.
TRUE CRIME
Steve Everett (Clint Eastwood), an Oakland journalist recovering from
alcoholism, is assigned to cover the execution of convicted murderer Frank
Beechum (Isaiah Washington) following the death in a car wreck of Everett's
colleague, Michelle Ziegler (Mary McCormack), who had originally been
assigned to the story.
Everett, despite instructions to the contrary from his editor, investigates the
background to the case and comes to suspect that Beechum has been
wrongly convicted of murdering Amy Wilson (Marissa Ribisi), a cashier, in a
shop. He gets permission from his editor's boss to investigate, and is told
that the top editor would call the Governor, and that would do the job, if
Everett gets hard proof. He thus has a little over 12 hours to confirm his
hunch and save Beechum.
Everett interviews a prosecution witness, Dale Porterhouse (Michael Jeter),
who saw Beechum at the store where the shooting took place and said in
his statement to the police that he saw him carrying a gun. Everett questions
Porterhouse's account, saying that, because of the layout of the store, he
could not have seen a gun in Beechum's hand and that he maybe said what
he did in order to impress his co-workers.
Everett confronts D.A. Cecelia Nussbaum (Frances Fisher) for putting an
innocent man on death row. She reveals that a third person was interviewed
after the crime, a young man, Warren, who claimed he had only stopped at
the store to buy a soda from a machine outside and saw nothing. Everett
decides that Warren, never called as a witness, is probably the real killer.
He breaks into the deceased reporter's house, suspecting that she had been
onto something and finds her file on Warren. Meanwhile, Warden Luther
Plunkett (Bernard Hill) also starts to have doubts about Beechum's guilt.
Everett falls out with his bosses and is fired on the spot, but he points out
that his contract entitles him to adequate notice. They ask him how much
notice he requires, and, looking at his watch, he says 6 hours and 7
minutes. While working his notice he tracks down Angela Russel (Hattie
Winston), Warren's grandmother. She tells him that her grandson Warren
could not have been the murderer, and berates him for the lack of interest
from the press when Warren himself was killed in a mugging two years after
Amy's murder.
The prison chaplain misrepresents an exchange with Beechum as a
confession to the crime. Everett hears about this on the radio and loses
heart; on top of this, his wife Barbara (Diane Venora) has found out about
his affair with his editor's wife and has turned him out of the house. He is
about to start drinking again when he sees a piece on TV that shows a
photograph of Amy wearing a locket, a locket he realizes he has seen before,
being worn by Angela Russel.
Everett drives back to Angela's house. When he tells her about the locket
she realizes the truth: her grandson was the guilty man. Everett now has to
get Angela to the Governor's house in order to persuade him to order a stay
of execution, but it might be too late. The execution uses 3 drugs: a sleep
inducer called thiopental, a second drug that paralyzes muscles, and a
third, lethal one. As they approach the Governor's mansion, the first drug
has already been injected into Frank's bloodstream and he has lost
consciousness. The Governor calls, and the doctors try to revive him, while
his wife Bonnie (Lisa Gay Hamilton) bangs on the window calling out for her
husband to wake up.
Six months later, a week before Christmas, Everett is out buying a stuffed
hippo for his daughter, and the store's proprietor mentions that he is
famous and may even win a Pulitzer. He catches sight of Frank and his
family doing their Christmas shopping. Steve and Frank acknowledge each
other, but Frank's daughter shouts for him to "come on," which Frank does
DEAD MAN WALKING
In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean begins corresponding with a death row inmate
at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Elmo Patrick Sonnier. Prejean has
recently gone through a spiritual transformation and renewed her
commitment to a life of social justice. As a result of this transformation, she
has moved to the St. Thomas housing projects in New Orleans, where she
witnesses crime and social inequality.
After exchanging several letters with Patrick, who has been convicted of the
kidnap and murder of two teenagers, Prejean decides to become his spiritual
advisor. During Prejean’s first visit with Patrick in Angola prison, Patrick
tells her about his impoverished childhood and shares memories of his
father and brother. After several months, Prejean also begins to visit
Patrick’s brother, Eddie, who kidnapped and murdered the two teenagers
along with Patrick and is serving a life sentence.
A judge sets Patrick’s execution date. Patrick says that on the night of the
murders, Eddie lost control and killed the two teenagers. Eddie confesses to
Prejean that he was the one who pulled the trigger. The U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit grants Patrick a stay pending a review of his
petition but eventually denies it. Prejean contacts Millard Farmer, a death
row attorney in Atlanta, to help with Patrick’s case. Millard agrees to help
and prepares petitions for the Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit. During
a drive to Angola, he describes the history of capital punishment and the
legal and political decisions that have shaped it. Millard paints a portrait of
an arbitrary system that determines who lives and who dies primarily on
the basis of race and class.
Millard appeals to Governor Edwin Edwards directly, but the governor has
already decided against granting a stay based on political concerns. At the
Pardon Board hearing, the chairman, Howard Marsellus (who will later be
convicted of taking bribes in exchange for pardons), agrees with Millard and
Prejean that the death penalty punishes poor men. While waiting for the
board to make a decision, Prejean meets Lloyd LeBlanc, the father of one of
the murdered teenagers. LeBlanc reprimands Prejean for not speaking to
the victims’ families as well as to the killers. The Pardon Board votes in favor
of Patrick’s execution.
With only four days left until Patrick’s execution, Eddie writes a letter to the
governor confessing to the murder. Patrick is moved to the death house. On
Patrick’s last day, Prejean encourages him to die with words of love instead
of hate. The governor, Supreme Court, and Fifth Circuit all reject Patrick’s
last appeals. Patrick has his last meal and talks fondly about his life. Millard
Farmer and another death row attorney, Bill Quigley, arrive at the prison.
Guards shave Patrick’s head and lead him out to the execution chamber.
Prejean walks behind Patrick. Patrick apologizes to Lloyd LeBlanc for his
crime and tells Prejean he loves her. At 12:15 A.M., the warden pronounces
him dead.
With the help of Patrick’s family and the Catholic Church, Prejean buries
Patrick. She helps raise money for a full-time death row attorney. For a time,
Prejean believes she will never go back to death row, but on a spiritual
retreat she decides she must continue to fight against capital punishment.
Prejean eventually agrees to become spiritual advisor to a man in his late
twenties, Robert Willie. After learning that Robert brutally raped and
murdered a teenage girl, Faith Hathaway, Prejean is briefly afraid of meeting
him. Robert is eager for Prejean to visit him, but first Prejean has to convince
the new prison warden that rumors of her emotional involvement with
Patrick are false and that she does not represent a security hazard.
To raise awareness about the death penalty, Prejean has helped organize a
three-day march from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. The march takes place
shortly after Prejean meets Robert. In Baton Rouge, they meet a
counterdemonstration. Vernon Harvey, Faith Hathaway’s stepfather, is at
the demonstration and speaks to Prejean. The following week, Prejean visits
Vernon and Elizabeth, Faith’s mother. They describe the details of Faith’s
murder. Vernon cannot get past his overwhelming grief.
Prejean confronts Robert with his crime and asks him to think about the
grief he has caused. He says he is sorry about what happened and blames
the murder on Joe Vaccaro, his accomplice. Robert asks Prejean to look over
the files he has prepared. Prejean reads about Robert’s long history of
incarceration, his inadequate defense, and the clearly biased jury.
The Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit deny Robert’s appeals. At the Pardon
Board hearing, Robert’s mother, Elisabeth, tries to testify but breaks down.
Prejean asks the Pardon Board members not to participate in a system they
know to be unjust. The Pardon Board rules against Robert unanimously.
Howard Marsellus, the Pardon Board chairman, later describes to Prejean
the corruption within the Pardon Board and apologizes for his participation
in it.
As Robert’s execution date approaches, Prejean visits Robert every week.
Major Cody, the man responsible for the death house, tells Prejean about
the haunting effect executions have had on him. Robert is moved to the
death house on Christmas Eve. He asks for a polygraph test; he wants to
prove to his mother that he didn’t kill Faith. The test is inconclusive. Robert
grants interviews to the press saying he admires Hitler and Castro and
believes in the supremacy of the Aryan race. Robert visits with his mother,
aunt, and stepbrothers for the last time on December 27. After his family
leaves, he calls his mother and finally cries. He goes to the chair with his
usual jaunty walk. With his last words, he tells the family of Faith Hathaway
he hopes his death brings them comfort, but that killing is wrong.
After Robert’s execution, the Faith Hathaway’s parents give interviews in
support of the death penalty. Prejean presents her arguments against it on
ABC News and challenges the assertion that capital punishment can be a
noble thing. She lists a number of men put to death for crimes they did not
commit.
Two years after Robert’s execution, Prejean meets the Harveys, who are now
advocates for victims’ families’ rights. Prejean helps found an organization,
Survive, to assist victims’ families in the inner city. At one of Survive’s
meetings, Prejean learns about the terrible treatment poor black women in
the inner city have received at the hands of the district attorney and police.
Prejean closes with a description of a prayer vigil she attends with Lloyd
LeBlanc, the father of one of the murdered teenagers in the Sonnier case.
LeBlanc says that even as he stared at his son’s corpse, he knew he had
forgiven whoever had killed his son.
RASHOMON
Sheltering from a rainstorm in the ruins of the Rashomon gatehouse,
a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) and a priest (Minoru Chiaki) sit
dejected. A commoner (Kichijiro Ueda) joins them, and wants to hear
the "strange story" they have just heard at a murder enquiry in the
courthouse garden. The story has horrified the priest. Even though
"year after year, it's been nothing but disasters," he has "never heard
a story as horrible as this." The woodcutter is utterly confounded,
and hopes the commoner can help him understand it.
The woodcutter begins the narration, telling the commoner that
three days earlier he had gone "into the mountains to get wood."
The woodcutter is walking through the woods, carrying his axe.
Sunlight filters through the foliage, dappling everything with a mix
of sun and sharp shadows. He sees a woman's hat caught on a bush.
Further along, he picks up a samurai's hat and some cut up rope.
He sees something small amongst the leaves on the ground, and goes
towards it, but does not notice the corpse right in front of him until
he trips over it. He screams and, dropping everything (including his
axe), runs away. He says, "I ran as fast as I could to tell the police.
Then, three days later--today--I was called to testify."
The woodcutter is seated in the sunlit courthouse garden,
addressing the court, unseen and unheard behind the camera. He
testifies that he is the one who found the body. Asked if he saw "a
sword or something," he protests emphatically that he found
"nothing at all" but the hats, rope, and "a shiny amulet case." And
here he lets slip two additional details: the rope was "near the body"
and the amulet case had "a red lining."
The priest is seated in the courthouse garden. He testifies that he
saw the man three days earlier, travelling on the road with a woman
on a horse, and armed with a sword and bow and arrows. [There is
a brief shot of the samurai passing on the road, turning to smile at
his wife.] The priest comments on the fragility of life and offers
condolences to someone off screen--presumably the wife.
The policeman (Daisuke Kato) is seated in the courthouse garden.
The bandit (Toshiro Mifune) is sitting beside him, bound. The
policeman identifies the bandit as the notorious Tajomaru. He had
captured him two days earlier, at dusk. [There is a brief shot of the
policeman finding the bandit writhing in agony on a riverbank. The
bandit pushes him into the river.] He describes the weapons and
horse belonging to the samurai. He concludes that Tajomaru must
have fallen from the stolen horse.
The bandit hotly denies falling from his horse. [There is a brief shot
depicting the bandit as he wants to be perceived: galloping in heroic
mode across the horizon, with stirring music.] He explains to the
court that he was thirsty, and drank from a spring. [There is a brief
shot of him drinking thirstily from a stream.] He says it must have
been contaminated, because he was ill and had to get off the horse.
The bandit says he knows he is doomed, so he has no reason to hide
anything. He says it was he who killed the samurai. [There is a scene
of the bandit lounging against a large tree, watching as the samurai
(Masayuki Mori) and his wife (Machiko Kyo) pass by, the samurai
eyeing the bandit warily.] The bandit says he initially intended "to
take her without killing the man."
Throughout the woodcutter's narration of the bandit's testimony the
bandit's bravado and dignity are undercut. He has animal-like
mannerisms, and appears indolent and ignoble, constantly
scratching and swatting flies.
The bandit runs through the woods to catch up to the couple. He
accosts the samurai, lures him into the woods with a tale of a cache
of swords he will sell cheap, and jumps him from behind. He laughs
in triumph, and goes to get the wife, tricking her by saying her
husband has suddenly "taken sick." In the courthouse garden the
bandit says the wife's look of concern made him jealous, and this
made him want to humiliate the samurai.
Running through the woods, led by the bandit, the wife loses her
hat. When they reach the grove she sees her husband tied to a tree
stump. The wife, at first frozen and powerless, suddenly draws a
dagger and fiercely attacks the bandit. She struggles, but eventually
gives up. The bandit kisses her. She drops the dagger and embraces
him.
In the court the bandit says that he "had succeeded in having her
without killing her husband." Having got what he wanted, it would
make sense for the bandit to leave the scene while he can easily get
away.
In the grove, the bandit begins to leave, taking the samurai's sword.
But the woman makes a bizarre melodramatic request that the men
duel to the death. In response, he frees the samurai and lets him
have his sword back. There is a fierce, dramatic sword fight. The
bandit finally kills the samurai.
In the courthouse garden the bandit boasts that it was an
honourable, impressive fight, claiming they "crossed swords 23
times." When asked about the woman, he has to think a moment
about this odd loose end, and supposes she ran off in fright (contrary
to the fierce spirit that had attracted him). Responding to further
questions, the bandit says that he sold the samurai's sword to buy
liquor, and that he had forgotten the dagger--a "foolish" mistake, as
it "looked very valuable."
In the Rashomon gatehouse the woodcutter says the bandit's and
the woman's stories were lies. The commoner observes that this is
human. "Most of the time we can't even be honest with ourselves."
The priest laments that this is because men are "weak." The priest
says the woman was found hiding in a temple, and that she
appeared at the enquiry. He says she showed no fierceness, was
"almost pitiful."
The priest takes over the narration, and begins relating the woman's
testimony.
The woman is in the courthouse garden, prostrate and weeping. She
says after forcing her to "yield to him" the bandit laughed mockingly.
In the grove, the bandit takes the samurai's sword and runs off. The
woman embraces her bound husband, but he remains impassive. In
the court, the woman says she saw "neither anger, nor sorrow, but
a cold light, a look of loathing." In the grove, she begs him to stop,
but he continues to look at her with cold disdain. She collapses in
despair, then retrieves the dagger, cuts his bonds, and tells him to
kill her. When he does not respond, she pleads for him to stop
condemning her with his silence, and repeats this over and over as
she approaches him with the dagger clenched in her hand.
In the courthouse garden she says that she must have fainted and
that when she came to she saw her dagger in her dead husband's
chest. She says she remembers only a pond [There is a brief shot of
the surface of a pond.], and throwing herself in, and failing with
several other attempts to kill herself. She dissolves in tears.
In the Rashomon gatehouse, the commoner comments that women
"use their tears to fool everyone." The priest mentions "the dead
man's story," explaining that "he spoke through a medium." The
woodcutter says, "His story was also lies," and he looks away from
them, agitated. The priest refuses to believe a dead man would be so
sinful as to lie, but the cynical commoner observes: "But is there
anyone who's really good? Maybe goodness is just make-believe. . .
Man just wants to forget the bad stuff and believe in the made-up
good stuff. It's easier that way." He asks the priest to continue.
In the courthouse garden, the medium (Fumiko Honma) performs a
ritual around a small altar, and goes into a trance. When she speaks,
it is the samurai's voice that is heard.
The medium/samurai tells a story that incorporates sentiments and
actions that vilify the woman, and are out of character and illogical
for the bandit, but that result in the bandit and the woman leaving
separately, with the samurai free of his bonds. In this sequence there
are frequent cuts between the grove and the courthouse garden.
The medium/samurai says the bandit "tried to console his wife." In
the grove, the bandit is kneeling by the woman, who is lying on the
ground. He "was cunning," telling the woman that he loved her, and
that she should marry him now. She gives in to him, and agrees to
go with him "wherever." But then she tells the bandit to kill her
husband. The bandit is appalled, throws her to the ground, and asks
the samurai what he wants: "Kill her or save her? You only have to
nod." The medium/samurai laughs with triumphant satisfaction,
and says: "For those words alone, I was ready to pardon his crime."
The woman runs away. The bandit chases her, but is unable to catch
her. He returns, exhausted and frustrated. He cuts the samurai's
bindings, and leaves, taking both swords. The samurai weeps. He
sees his wife's dagger, and uses it to stab himself. In court, the
medium collapses. In the background, the woodcutter's attention is
riveted. The medium/samurai says: "Then someone quietly
approached me. That someone gently withdrew the dagger from my
heart." When the medium's testimony stops there, the woodcutter
relaxes.
In the Rashomon gatehouse, the woodcutter paces thoughtfully. He
suddenly asserts: "Its not true! There was no dagger. He was killed
by a sword." The commoner looks skeptical, and presses the
woodcutter to explain how he knows this. The woodcutter avoids eye
contact when he claims that he was a witness, but did not tell the
court because he "didn't want to get involved." He says he came upon
the scene and, from behind a bush, observed the bandit begging the
woman for forgiveness.
The woodcutter tells a story that incorporates elements from the
different stories heard in court. He describes actions that are out of
character and implausible, and the demeanor of the characters
fluctuates wildly. There is no music--only the sounds of insects,
rustling leaves, and gasping breath.
In the grove, the bandit begs the woman to go with him, and says he
will do anything for her. She retrieves the dagger, and cuts the
samurai's bonds. The samurai is still wearing his sword, but just
stands there. The bandit assumes she wants them to fight a duel.
The samurai refuses to risk his life "for such a woman." The bandit
starts to leave. The woman laughs derisively, and derides them both
for their lack of manhood. This drives the men to fight. The woman
laughs, but then looks horrified. The men fight with farcical
ineptitude in something resembling an undignified peasant brawl.
The bandit finally spears the cowering samurai. The woman recoils
from the bandit. He grabs the samurai's sword, and she runs away.
He is too exhausted to chase her. He retrieves his own sword, and
hobbles away.
In the Rashomon gatehouse, the cynical commoner doubts this
story. The priest despairs that men cannot trust one another. Then
they hear an abandoned baby cry.
When the woodcutter berates the commoner for stealing the baby's
kimono, the commoner deflects the criticism by condemning the
parents who abandoned their child. He says that no one is honest.
He hasn't been fooled by the woodcutter. He knows the woodcutter
must have stolen the dagger. The woodcutter hangs his head in
shame. The commoner slaps the woodcutter, and goes on his way,
laughing mockingly.
The priest and the woodcutter stand dejected. The rain stops. The
woodcutter reaches to take the baby from the priest. The priest
recoils, and the woodcutter shakes his head, looking very hurt. He
explains: "I have six kids of my own. Another one wouldn't make a
difference." The priest recognizes that the woodcutter is basically a
decent man, ashamed of his petty theft. He apologizes for his
mistrust, and thanks him, because now he feels he can keep his
faith in man. The priest hands the baby to the woodcutter. They bow
to one another, and the woodcutter turns. The priest follows him to
the steps of the gatehouse, and the two bow to each other again. The
woodcutter leaves, walking into the sunlight. He is looking happy.
THE STONING OF SORRAYA M.
Stranded in the remote Iranian village of Kuhpayeh by car trouble, a
journalist (Freidoune Sahebjam) is approached by Zahra, a woman with a
harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances
of Soraya's death, by stoning, the previous day. The two sit down as Zahra
recounts the story to Freidoune, who records the conversation with his tape
recorder. The journalist must escape with his life to tell the story to the rest
of the world.
Ali is the abusive husband of Soraya who tries to get the village's mullah to
convince Soraya to grant him a divorce so that he can marry a 14-year-old.
Ali's marriage to the teenager is conditional on Ali's ability to save the girl's
father, who has been sentenced to death for an unspecified crime. The
mullah proposes that Soraya becomes his lover in exchange for protection
and monetary support for Soraya and her two daughters. Soraya refuses.
Soraya has two sons whom Ali wants, and who have both turned against
her. In a scene where Ali comes home to confront Soraya, a violent argument
breaks out, she breaks a dish and Ali beats her, all the while saying things
displaying his sexist attitude. Some days following the incident, a woman
dies. The mullah, the village's mayor, and Ali ask Zahra to persuade Soraya
to care for the widower. Zahra suggests that Soraya may do the job if she is
paid.
Soraya starts working for the widower, and Ali plans to use the unusual
circumstance to spread lies that Soraya is being unfaithful to him so that
she will be stoned and he can remarry. Ali also knows if Soraya were dead,
he would not have to pay child support. Ali and the mullah start a rumor
about Soraya's infidelity so they can charge her with adultery. One day while
Zahra is walking in town, she realizes that a rumor has spread that her
niece is being unfaithful to her husband.
Ali and the mullah need one more "witness" to Soraya's "infidelity" to be able
to formally charge her, so they visit the widower at home and using threats
manipulate the widower into agreeing to backup their story. Soon after, Ali
drags Soraya through the streets, beating her and publicly declaring that
she has been unfaithful. Zahra intervenes and takes her niece, Ali, the
Mullah and the Mayor of the village to her house to talk privately. They bring
the widower to the house and after he lies and says that they had engaged
in adultery, a trial is pursued. Only men are allowed while Soraya is
confined with some women in her house. She is quickly convicted. Zahra
tries to flee with her and after realizing she cannot, goes to plead with the
mayor for Soraya's life, even offering to switch places with Soraya. The
conviction is upheld though, and as they are preparing for the stoning, the
Mayor prays to Allah for a sign if they are not doing the right thing.
Before the actual stoning can begin, a traveling carnival van comes through
and tries to perform their act. They are shooed away, where they wait by the
sidelines as the stoning begins. Soraya's father disowns her as he is given
the first stone to throw but he misses her repeatedly. A woman in the crowd
pleads to the mayor that the stones missing are a sign Soraya is innocent,
but none of the men listen. Ali takes up stones and throws them himself.
Her two sons are also forced to throw stones. The widower is given two
stones to throw but instead walks away. The crowd finally joins in. The
stoning stops when she is believed to be dead, but after Ali sees that she is
not and the stoning resumes. Soraya finally dies.

Zahra is heard narrating the story to the journalist about her niece. Around
this time, the mullah and the widower are informed by Ali that his marriage
to the teenaged girl is off, implying that he could not spare her father from
execution. As the journalist attempts to leave with his belongings and collect
his vehicle after it has been repaired by the widower, the mullah orders a
Revolutionary Guard to stop him at gunpoint. They seize his tape recorder
and destroy all of the tapes but as the journalist is leaving in his car, Zahra
appears out of an alley with the true tape in her hand. As the journalist
drives away he stops and grabs the true tape from Zahra and speeds away.
Zahra screams that the God that she loves is great and now whole world will
know of the injustice that has happened. The movie ends by showing the
only known picture of Soraya Manutchehri, taken when she was nine years
old.