FILM ANALYSIS 1 FILM ANALYSIS 6 Film Analysis Comment by Susan Administrator: Good. Film Analysis The movie “Ghandi”, produced in the year 1982, by Richard Attenborough focuses on the story of a famous Indian peaceful agitator for independence. It is a tale of the life of this famous Indian peaceful agitator who had dedicated himself to the struggle for the freedom of the Indian people from the British rule. The setting of the film is based on the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi were he gave a detailed description of his journey in life and how he came to be involved in the Indian national politics. The film presents the chronological and realistic account of the life of this political activist. Comment by Susan Administrator: Don’t place in quotation marks; check spelling. Loooong movie! Comment by Susan Administrator: Good overall background. The movie begins at the end when an assassin shots this man at an event (Attenborough, 1982). The shooting is instigated by Gandhi’s stand on the British rule and his approach on overturning the situation to the advantage of the people of India. After the shooting incident, mourners pour out into the streets calling this a national tragedy. His death was a loss to the whole nation due to his commitment to the freedom of his people. The struggle had taken Gandhi to South Africa where he had gone to practice law. Comment by Susan Administrator: Why is this needed? Is this the scene you are focusing on? If not, why include it? His first aggressive confrontation with the authorities was in South Africa when the authorities sent him to the third class section of the train even though he held the first class ticket. This was influenced by the racial discrimination that was propagated by the colonial government in that African country. Gandhi refused to be treated so poorly, and in the process of making trouble, he found himself thrown out. This is the beginning of the non-violent attempts that he would later make in his life as an activist. He was inspired by this incident to create a society where everyone is equal and to fight against the racial segregation. Comment by Susan Administrator: This does not focus on a particular scene, but it does provide some historical summary. But that’s not what the assignment is about. His success in South Africa takes him back to his home country where his heroism is acknowledged. He, however, meets stringent opposition from the British government that commits itself to ensure that the same changes are not seen in the Indian society (Canby, 1982). Comment by Susan Administrator: This is more like what I’ve just seen. You cover lots of events and lots of scenes. Where is the focus? His attempt to bring about the stop in the oppression through the non-violent means brought about a lot of frustrations. The British government sends him to jail several times while the people engage the government in armed struggle. While he is in prison the con ...

1. FILM ANALYSIS 1
FILM ANALYSIS 6
Film Analysis Comment by Susan Administrator: Good.
Film Analysis
The movie “Ghandi”, produced in the year 1982, by Richard
Attenborough focuses on the story of a famous Indian peaceful
agitator for independence. It is a tale of the life of this famous
Indian peaceful agitator who had dedicated himself to the
struggle for the freedom of the Indian people from the British

2. rule. The setting of the film is based on the autobiography of
Mahatma Gandhi were he gave a detailed description of his
journey in life and how he came to be involved in the Indian
national politics. The film presents the chronological and
realistic account of the life of this political activist.
Comment by Susan Administrator: Don’t place in
quotation marks; check spelling. Loooong movie! Comment by
Susan Administrator: Good overall background.
The movie begins at the end when an assassin shots this man at
an event (Attenborough, 1982). The shooting is instigated by
Gandhi’s stand on the British rule and his approach on
overturning the situation to the advantage of the people of
India. After the shooting incident, mourners pour out into the
streets calling this a national tragedy. His death was a loss to
the whole nation due to his commitment to the freedom of his
people. The struggle had taken Gandhi to South Africa where he
had gone to practice law. Comment by Susan
Administrator: Why is this needed? Is this the scene you are
focusing on? If not, why include it?
His first aggressive confrontation with the authorities was in
South Africa when the authorities sent him to the third class
section of the train even though he held the first class ticket.
This was influenced by the racial discrimination that was
propagated by the colonial government in that African country.
Gandhi refused to be treated so poorly, and in the process of
making trouble, he found himself thrown out. This is the
beginning of the non-violent attempts that he would later make
in his life as an activist. He was inspired by this incident to
create a society where everyone is equal and to fight against the
racial segregation. Comment by Susan Administrator: This
does not focus on a particular scene, but it does provide some
historical summary. But that’s not what the assignment is about.
His success in South Africa takes him back to his home country
where his heroism is acknowledged. He, however, meets
stringent opposition from the British government that commits
itself to ensure that the same changes are not seen in the Indian

3. society (Canby, 1982). Comment by Susan Administrator:
This is more like what I’ve just seen. You cover lots of events
and lots of scenes. Where is the focus?
His attempt to bring about the stop in the oppression through
the non-violent means brought about a lot of frustrations.
The British government sends him to jail several times while
the people engage the government in armed struggle. While he
is in prison the conflict between the British government and the
people of India escalates. In addition more conflict arises when
peaceful protesters are brutally killed by the government
authorities. This forces Gandhi to on a hunger strike to
demonstrate his denounce of this aggressive nature of the
government and the discovery of the struggles between the
Muslims and the Hindus. The aggressive nature of the fight for
independence is depicted when the movie shows Indian
civilians, mostly children and women, being shot at by the
firing squad from the East Asian or Chinese mercenary troops.
The scene is very brutal and cruel as the lieutenant defends the
decision and orders the continuation of the brutality leading to
the death of more than a thousand people. It was a series of
armed struggle and violence that had led to the killing of over
one thousand women and children. Gandhi reacts to this act
with great sorrow and hence a turning point in the movie
(Attenborough, 1982). Comment by Susan Administrator:
What scene among the many you have touched on? Fortunately,
I can piece it together by what follows, but this was not well led
into.
Gandhi’s approach on fighting back the oppressive rule of the
British government was through peaceful protest and
demonstration which inspired many people to liberate their
country against the colonial rule. Through consistent
demonstration, the British government succumbed to the fight
for independence from the Indians leading to a peaceful
liberation of India to the people of India. Comment by
Susan Administrator: This could be relevant if you talked about
it in terms of social psychology rather than history.

4. He chooses to use the peaceful demonstration and to inspire the
people to stand up against the British oppression and to liberate
their country. In the end, Gandhi manages to achieve his aim of
liberating his country. This scene is not just about India but
rather about the brutality of the colonial rule. The white people
had invaded Africa, Asia and the Americas to exercise their
control over them. They were very oppressive and inhumane in
their treatment of the colonies. Comment by Susan
Administrator: Lots of history here and I enjoyed your
commentary but any connection to social psychology ended up
being completely coincidental.
The British would do anything to prevent themselves from
losing their iron grip on the people, including murder. This
demonstrated the aggressive gesture by the colonial government
during that time. The high-handedness could be seen in their
retaliation for the attempts by the population to wrestle them
out of control. The other lesson that the many freedom fighters
out there could learn from this section is that the non-violent
means was a viable and the most suitable approach to the
struggle. This is because the colonialists were better trained and
better equipped than the indigenous people.
They had all the powerful machinery to kill anyone who stood
in their way. The most efficient way to avoid the killings was to
use the peaceful mass demonstrations. You can kill the people,
but you cannot kill the spirit of a vast number of people who are
united for a common purpose. The section hence does not just
tell the story of this great man, but rather the commitment of
the Indians and their struggle for freedom. It highlights the
sacrifices that the people had to make to free themselves of the
white man’s rule.
The story of Gandhi highlights how the fight for independence
in India was met with aggression on their people from the
British colonial government. People were brutally murder and
the colonial government justified the impunity the Gandhi and
the people of India faced. Sending Gandhi to jail shows a sign
of aggression directly to Gandhi by the British government.

5. Also, the people of India quest for independent governance was
engulfed into an intense conflict between the people of India
and the British government. However, the British government’s
decision to pave way for the independence of India through the
efforts of Gandhi and his people demonstrated the two parties
were willing to come into peaceful terms and gain
independence. This agreement between the British government
and Gandhi illustrate the essence of the peacemaking process.
References Comment by Susan Administrator: Beware of
simple taking references as you find them. These all have flaws.
Canby, V. (1982, December 8). MOVIE REVIEW: Gandhi
(1982). Retrieved from New York
Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173BB12
CAB484CC2B7799E836896
Chadda, M. (1987). Satyagraha: Gandhi's Approach To
Peacemaking. Peacemaking journal, Darshan.
Funk, N. C. ( 2002). Gandhi's Peace Paradigms : Five
Approaches to Peace. PEACE, NON-VIOLENCE & CONFLICT

6. RESOLUTION JOURNAL, 3.
Week 9, Assignment 1 Instructor Feedback
Thank you for your work on this assignment. Below is the
rubric for this assignment. Following the rubric you will find a
summary of my remarks. However, please be sure to also
examine my comments on your paper.
Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
· Described the setting and overall storyline of the movie.
· Described the main characters in the observed movie section.
· Described the situation that you analyzed and interpreted the
actions of the characters depicting aggression, conflict and
peace-making.
· Drew conclusions based on social psychological concepts and
theories.
12
Used correct spelling, grammar, professional vocabulary, and
APA format.
3
Total:
15
Your paper is long and offers a thorough historical treatment of
the events depicted in the film. However, as interesting as that
all is, it isn’t what the assignment is about. I’m afraid you lost
focus on social psychology. Even in those places where you
produce material relevant to this week’s concepts you do not
discuss them in a social psychological way (see the bolded
criterion above). Regards

7. FA_SPL_W9_Instructions_INCOMPLETE.docx
Observation Techniques: Film Analysis
This week, you will analyze a three- to five-minute section of a
movie or a television episode depicting aggression, conflict, and
peacemaking.
After watching the movie section, create a report on your
analysis. In your report:
· Mention the name of the movie.
· Describe the setting and overall storyline of the movie.
· Describe the main characters in the observed movie section.
Do NOT overkill on describing the above. Please refer to the
example provided, and focus on the below in more detail.
· Describe the situation that you analyzed and interpret the
action of the characters depicting aggression, conflict, and
peacemaking.
· Draw conclusions based on social psychological concepts and
theories.
Movies to choose from:
The Kingdom
Ghandi (1982)
Shooting Dogs (2005)
Shake Hands with the Devil (2007)
Invictus (2009)
Schindler's List (1993)
I need you to go through this paper and make sure that
everything is pieced together properly. I already know that the
last 2 sections have not been properly covered (the GREEN
area). This is due to poor work on a prior tutor; not bashing,
simply stating facts as I gave the tutor several chances at
correction being as though I assigned this a week in advance to
ensure quality. The movie that is grey is the one that the prior
tutor chose to do the assignment on. It is attached as well.
FA_SPL_W10_Instructions_INCOMPLETE.docx
Observation Techniques: Film Analysis

8. This week, you will analyze a three- to five-minute section of a
movie or a television episode depicting social psychology in the
courtroom.
After watching the movie section, create a three- to four-page
report on your analysis. In your report:
· Mention the name of the movie.
· Describe the setting and overall storyline of the movie.
· Describe the main characters in the observed movie section.
Do NOT overkill on describing the above. Please refer to the
example provided, and focus on the below in more detail.
· Describe the situation that you analyzed and interpret the
action of the characters depicting social psychology in the
courtroom.
· Draw conclusions based on social psychological concepts and
theories.
Movies to choose from:
A Time to Kill
To Kill a Mockingbird
Anatomy of a Murder
A Few Good Men
And Justice for All (1979)
I need you to go through this paper and make sure that
everything is pieced together properly. I already know that the
last 2 sections have not been properly covered (the GREEN
area). This is due to poor work on a prior tutor; not bashing,
simply stating facts as I gave the tutor several chances at
correction being as though I assigned this a week in advance to
ensure quality. The movie that is grey is the one that the prior
tutor chose to do the assignment on. It is attached as well.
TR_FA_Example.docx
Running head: FILM ANALYSIS: THE COLOR PURPLE

9. 1
FILM ANALYSIS: THE COLOR PURPLE
6
Film Analysis: The Color Purple
Film Analysis: The Color Purple
The movie at hand, ‘’The Color Purple’’ is a Steven Spielberg
directed American period drama of 1985 highlighting the plight
of the African American women in the beginning of 1900s
through Celie Harris who is a young African American girl. The
movie is based on the novel titled ‘’ The Color Purple’’ by
Alice Walker. The film primarily covers both diversity among
the races and gender issues; specifically the challenges that
women, especially of color, faced at the time which included
including poverty, racism, and sexism (Walker, 1998).
Comment by Author: Film titles are italicized.Comment by
Author: This is brief, but I’m familiar with the film.
Comment by Author: Book titles, like film titles, are
italicized. Comment by Author: Additional spacing between

10. paragraphs incorrect.
In terms of storyline, The Color Purple is set in Celie’s point of
view as evident with her speaking in first person in her private
letters to God and Nettie (Walker, 1998). In the letters, Celie,
who doubles up as the protagonist, writes about her actions;
what she hears, sees, and feels. All of this is in a confessional
and uninhibited tone (Walker, 1998). The cause of Celie’s
writing letters to God is the frequent raping and beatings by her
father Alphonso which resulted in the Celie giving birth to a
baby girl, whom Celie was told was later killed by her father in
the woods. Alphonso’s abuse of Celie continues even after him
bringing a second wife into the home, following the death of
Celie’s mother (Walker, 1998). Comment by Author: This
offers additional summary on the plot. Good.
The story development unfolds in Celie’s sister, Nettie being
approached by Mister for marriage, but as it turns out the man
has another lover, a traveling singer. Therefore, Alphonso, their
father refuses and instead offers Celie to the man (Walker,
1998).The marriage between Celie and Mister turns out to be a
joyless and a very difficult one. On the other hand, Nettie runs
from home and ends up seeking refuge at Celie’s troubled house
where Celie’s abusive husband openly displays a distasteful lust
for Nettie. He attempts to make some love advances, but Nettie
is not interested. This provokes him to banish her from his
home and property (Walker, 1998). Comment by Author: This is
all interesting but exceeds what the assignment wants. The idea
is to give a brief summary of the film as a whole followed by a
focus on a short segment.
Celie’s difficult marriage is showing no signs of
improving, even leading to the sister of her husband to call
upon her to fight the abusive man. To this level the women are
struggling to fight for their rights as evident in Harpo’s wife;
Sofia defies any abuse form Harpo and Mister. Celie’s co-wife
gets sick and is taken into Celie’s house for care, and it is while
she stays here that they discovered written letters from Nettie
about her missionary work with Samuel and Corrine who are

11. married couples with adopted children. As fate would have it,
Nettie’s would-be lover (Samuel) reveals that the adopted
children are actually Celie’s alleged stolen and killed children.
The film’s story gets into a twists at the point where it is
discovered that Alphonso was actually a stepfather to Nettie and
Celie, and he was only after inheriting Celie’s house after her
husband was whisked away by the whites for refusing to yield
to their demands; another example of the diversity contained
within this film. Later on, Celie becomes financially stable and
reconciles with Mister in forgiving him, but she does not go
back to him. Sofia rejoins with Harpo in reconciling their
marriage, and Nettie and Samuel get married. Upon marrying
Tashi, Samuel’s son Adam is forced to undergo the same
circumcision pain that her wife underwent during the traditional
female genital circumcision in solidarity.
As one goes through the storyline of the film, the main focus
that is brought to light is that the womenfolk, especially the
African Americans in the 1900’s, faced some critical sexism
issues. That entails issues like rape, financial instability due to
gender, and undergoing traditional rites; which are barbaric in
nature and past with time (Walker, 2011).That is evident with
the main characters in the film including Celie, Sofia, Nettie
and Tashi. For instance, Celie is forced to call it quits between
her and her husband following a difficult relationship due to
cheating and financial instability, among other abuses (Walker,
2011). However, after becoming financially stable, they
reconcile with the husband as she is now independent. That
applies to Sofia and her husband as well. Comment by Author:
Correct. Comment by Author: Also correct. Comment by
Author: This is not tied specifically to either a cultural or
gender issue. Just because it involves a man and a woman does
not make it a gender issue.
That is a demonstration that women were at that time viewed as
a weaker sex, because they were not financially stable and had
to succumb to the man’s or husband’s whim, but for those who
were capable in one or another like Sofia with her strength

12. overpowering men’s managed to lead an independent life free
from abuses (Dudden, 2011). In other words, womenfolk have
always been denied the rightful opportunity in the society to the
growing male chauvinism but the conditions is slowly changing
upon women leading independent lifestyles due to financial
stability and some strength of sort that makes the men recognize
them as humans (Dudden, 2011). Comment by Author: This is
better because the explanation connects an action to an idea
under consideration. Comment by Author: Good.
In terms of diversity, the movie addresses the racial boundaries
between blacks and whites at this time; which is reminiscent of
the slavery era in America. More fundamentally, the movie
depicts the story of migration from the South to the North, back
and forth, by the black population who were undergoing a lot of
suffering at the hands of their white masters, and as such, they
were in search of greener pastures. The film also shows a brief
depiction of their return to their homeland after attaining
freedom (Abel, 1997). Comment by Author: Well, it was
meant to recall that period, but I get your point. Comment by
Author: This is highly pertinent, but exactly how does it show a
cultural issue? You don’t explain.
The south-North movement depicted in the film in view of
Celie’s story is a demonstration of the long standing problems
that the black population was undergoing from the slave owners
as well as the threat that is presented to the black cultural
identity; as evident in the attempt to change Celie’s dialect
(Abel, 1997). Celie’s returning to the South in the movie is a
demonstration of the black’s reclamation of the lost space and
freedom at the hands of their white counterparts (Abel, 1997).
This insinuates that the blacks are meant to undergo certain
things in life; such as persevering as they seek resources from
the white developed land for them to succeed in life having
learned about the rich cultures and civilizations that existed
within white society that they were initially not privy to (Abel,
1997). Comment by Author: This is better; a little awkward
in expression but clear enough in intent.

13. Reference Comment by Author: References (you have more than
one).
Abel, E. (1997). Female subjects in black and white: Race,
psychoanalysis, feminism. Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.: Univ. of
California Press. Comment by Author: Titles are italicized
and something happened with the publication information.
Dudden, F. E. (2011). Fighting chance: The struggle over
woman suffrage and Black suffrage in Reconstruction America.
New York: Oxford University Press. Comment by Author:
Book titles are italicized.
Walker, A. (1998). The color purple. S.l.: Warner. Comment by
Author: Please see the announcement posted in the classroom
for how to handle electronic sources and/or visit the Purdue
OWL.
Walker, A. (2011). The Color Purple.
Week 3, Assignment 1 Instructor Feedback
Thank you, for your work on this assignment. Below is the
rubric for this assignment. Following the rubric you will find a
summary of my remarks. However, please be sure to also
examine my comments on your paper.

14. Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
· Described the setting and overall storyline of the movie.
· Described the main characters in the observed movie section.
· Described the situation that you analyzed and interpreted the
actions of the characters depicting cultural diversity and gender
issues.
· Drew conclusions based on social psychological concepts and
theories.
14.5
Used correct spelling, grammar, professional vocabulary, and
APA format.
3
Total:
17.5
Your paper works awfully hard. I appreciate the effort. I would
like to relieve you of some of the labor, though. You do not
need to provide as much description as plot as you do. As I
point out in the margin notes, the idea is to offer a brief
summary of the setting and overall plot, then to focus on a
specific scene with the specific actions of a specific character
(or characters). You do offer some details gleaned from here
and there throughout the film, but that is not entirely the same
thing. I also appreciated your effort to bring in a source that
helps contextualize and explain what is going on in the film.
SPL_9_ROUGH DRAFT.docx
GANDHI (1982) MOVIE REVIEW 2
GANDHI (1982) MOVIE REVIEW 5

15. Gandhi (1982) Movie Review
Student Name
Running head: GANDHI (1982) MOVIE REVIEW
1
Institution
This movie is about the famous Indian peaceful agitator for
independence. It is a tale of the life of this great man who had
dedicated himself to the struggle for the freedom of the Indian
people from the British rule. It was produced in the year 1982
by Richard Attenborough. It is based on the autobiography of
Mahatma Gandhi were he gave a detailed description of his
journey in life and how he came to be involved in the Indian
national politics. The film presents the chronological and
realistic account of the life of this political activist.
The movie begins at the end when an assassin shots this man at
an event (Attenborough, 1982). This shooting is instigated by
Gandhi’s stand on the British rule and the best approach to be
adopted by the people to overturn the situation. After the seeing
incident, mourners pour out into the streets calling this a
national tragedy. His death was a loss to the whole nation due to
his commitment to the freedom of his people. The struggle had
taken Gandhi to South Africa where he had gone to practice
law.
His first experience with the South African authorities was
when he was sent to the third class component of the train even
though he held the first class ticket. This was due to racial
discrimination that was propagated by the colonial government
in that African country. He refused to be treated so poorly, and
in making a fuss, he found himself thrown out. This is the
beginning of the non-violent attempts that he would later make
in his life as an activist. He was inspired by this incident to

16. create a society where everyone is equal and to fight against the
racial segregation.
His success in South Africa takes him back to his home country
where his heroism is acknowledged. He, however, meets
stringent opposition from the British government that commits
itself to ensure that the same changes are not seen in the Indian
society (Canby, 1982).
His attempt to bring about the stop in the oppression through
the non-violent means seem to meet a lot of frustrations.
The British government sends him to jail several times while
the people engage the government in armed struggle. He finds
himself in prison several times as the violence escalates. He
goes on hunger strike for the cruel murder of peaceful protesters
and again when he figured out about the struggles between the
Muslims and the Hindus. The scene that captures aggression,
conflict and peacemaking are when the movie shows the Indian
civilians, mostly children and women, being shot by the firing
squad which looked like the East Asian or Chinese mercenary
troops.
This scene is very brutal and cruel as the lieutenant defends the
decision and orders the continuation of the firing until more
than one thousand people were killed. The Indians had been
involved in the aggressive struggle with the British authorities
in the agitation for their freedom. It was a series of armed
struggle and violence that had lead to the killing of the over one
thousand women and children. Gandhi reacts to this act with
great sorrow and hence a turning point in the movie
(Attenborough, 1982).
He chooses to use the peaceful demonstration and to inspire the
people to stand up against the British oppression and to liberate
their country. In the end, Gandhi manages to achieve his aim of
liberating his country. This scene is not just about India but
rather about the brutality of the colonial rule. The white people
had invaded Africa, Asia and the Americas to exercise their
control over them. They were very oppressive and inhumane in
their treatment of the colonies.

17. They would do anything to prevent them from losing the iron
grip on the people, including killing them. The high-handedness
could be seen in their retaliation for the attempts by the
population to wrestle themselves out of the control. The other
lesson that the many freedom fighters out there could learn from
this section is that the non-violent means was a viable and the
most suitable approach to the struggle. This is because the
colonialists were better trained and better equipped than the
indigenous people.
They had all the powerful machinery to kill anyone who stood
in their way. The most efficient way to avoid the killings was to
use the peaceful mass demonstrations. You can kill the people,
but you cannot kill the spirit of a vast number of people who are
united for a common purpose. The section hence does not just
tell the story of this great man, but rather the commitment of
the Indians and their struggle for freedom. It highlights the
sacrifices that the people had to make to free themselves of the
white man’s rule.
The same sacrifices and brutality were replicated in the other
parts of the world especially in Africa that had numerous counts
of colonial oppression and racial discrimination. Gandhi’s life
offers a significant example to the leaders who aspire to lead
the people and serve them (Canby, 1982). From the onset, this
man loved his people, and he committed himself to liberating
them. He lived a modest life, not putting material possessions
ahead of his leadership role. This part of the film is a testimony
that a committed spirit of the people coupled with good
leadership has the power to bring about change in the society.
Reference

18. Canby. V (1982) Gandhi (1982). New York Times. Movies.
http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173
BB12CAB484CC2B7799E83 6896
Attenborough. R (1982) Gandhi 1982.
SPL_10_ROUGH DRAFT.docx
ANATOMY OF A MURDER
3
Anatomy of a Murder
Student Name
Running head: ANATOMY OF A MURDER
1
Institution
Film Analysis: Anatomy of a Murder
The Anatomy of Murder (1958) is a novel that had been written
by the Supreme Court Justice of Michigan John D Voelker. The
story had been based on a 1952 case of murder in which
Voeckler was the defense attorney. The novel was then adapted
into a movie by the screenwriter Wendell Mayes.
Two humble ex-district attorneys of the Michigan Paul Biegler

19. and Parnell McCarthy took to the United States Army
Lieutenant Manion (Ben Gazzara). Manion has been accused of
shooting and killing the Thunder Bay Inn Owner, Barney Quill.
It is alleged that Quill beat and raped the wife Laura who is
known to be at the bar as the seductive and good time lady.
With only a little memory of the real murder, the only defense
for Paul is "irresistible impulse." This is a version of a
temporary insanity even though his defense is weak. To add on,
the prosecuting attorney Brooks West has called in a very
prominent state assistant attorney general George Scott to assist
in the prosecution (Bosley, 1959)
In term of the story line, Anatomy of Murder, Ben Gazzara
(Fredrick Manion) is a lieutenant in the army and has been
arrested for the murder of the bartender Barney Quill. Ben in
his defense claims that the victim had raped and had beaten up
his wife, Laura (Lee Remick). Even though Laura supports the
story of her husband, there is no evidence to be found by the
police surgeon that the victim had indeed been raped.
Social psychology comes in the court room during the cross
examination of Manion by Paul Biegler, his defense lawyer. He
is a lawyer is a humble small town. In the interviewing process,
Biegler notices that Manion is very violent, possessive and
jealous and that the wife had the reputation of granting her
favors to the other men. Such discovery makes Biegler forecast
that the prosecution might try to make the court believe that
indeed Laura was the bartender's lover.
Manion had killed him and beaten her up in the mere discovery
that they were together. Manion further pleads not to be guilty
and Biegler, knowing his case is weak chooses to set out his
assistants to investigate the witness that will save Manion.
Manion does not deny the murder but affirms that Quill raped

20. his wife. Even with the experienced motivation, it would be
tough to get Manion being cleared out of murder. Manion
clarifies that he had no memory of the event, and this leads to
the suggestion that he could be eligible for the defense against
irresistible impulse that is a version of a temporary insanity
defense.
The folksy speech of Biegler and his laid-back demeanor tend to
hide a sharp legal mind and the propensity for the courtroom
theatrics that makes the judge busy with maintenance of things
in control. However, the defense case does not sink well
primarily because the local district attorney Brooks West is
being assisted by the highly-powered prosecutor George Scott,
who is from the general office of the attorney.
Moreover, the prosecution at every circumstance tries to block
any mention of the motive of Manion to kill Quill. Biegler,
therefore, manages to get the rape case of Laura Manion into
the record. The tactic used by Biegler and Manion during this
moment prompts Judge Weaver to agree to allow such a matter
to be a component of the deliberations.
Later on, the psychiatrists also give in some conflicting
testimonies to the state of mind of Manion at the moment when
he murdered Quill. The dancers, however, affirm that Manion
could have suspected his wife Laura of cheating since he had
asked the wife to swear on the rosary that Quill had raped him.
More doubts are raised as to whether the act by Manion was
non-consensual.
During the trial, Laura reveals that Quill tore off the pants
while raping her. On the contrary, there was no evidence of the
panties being found at the scene of the crime where she alleges
that the abuse had taken place. Biegler in his defense suggests
that Quill could have dropped the panties in the laundry room's
inn so that he could avoid any suspicion.
The central conflict and the most dramatic fascination from this
section of the movie reveal the battle of the legal wits and the
personalities that are waged between the defense attorney and
those of the prosecution. Upon the watchful eye of the shrewd,

21. the sardonic old judge. The battle is beautifully drawn and
maneuvered. It is full of neat little triumphs from both sides
thus; the result is an exciting climax and a clear revelation of
the principal characters (Asimow, 1998).
The most intensely revealed are the character of the defense
lawyer. This part played by James Stewart in his finest
performances. He slowly and subtly represents a warm,
knowledgeable, competent and a complex personality. Most
importantly, the portrait of a trial lawyer in an action upon
which can be difficult for any person to surpass. A good lawyer
like Biegler would use social psychology in collaboration with
the accused to turn the case around and obtain a favorable
verdict. Manion and Biegler were the masters of the art as
signified by the final outcome of the case. The five minutes
section could have been the point that delivered the victory.
Reference
Bosley, C. (1959) Anatomy of a Murder Screen: A Court Classic
Asimow, M. (1998). "Picturing Justice Film review from a legal
perspective”
FA_EXAMPLE.docx
FILM ANALYSIS 1
FILM ANALYSIS 4

22. 12 Years a Slave Review
Film Analysis
“12 Years a Slave” is an Oscar-winning movie produced in
2013. It cast famous characters like Brad Pitt and Lupita
Nyong’o, who came to win the Oscars for her supportive role in
the film. The movie is based on the actual accounts of Solomon,
a former slave, who had been freed by his friends (McQueen,
2013). The book that the film is based upon was first published
in 1853 when this man had been released from bondage, and he
had given a firsthand account of his story.
The story is set in the period when the blacks were held as
slaves in the US. It is a true story of a man who is forced to
fight for his freedom hence his survival in the society where the
white masters would do anything to make a black man a slave.
This was the American society before the Civil War. Solomon
Northup is initially a free man living in the upstate New York; a
violinist. Unfortunately, he is abducted and sold out as a slave.
He is subjected to cruelty by his new owner Michael
Fassbender.
Even though Solomon had been the son of a slave, he was born
free. He was married with two children by the time he was

23. being kidnapped in 1841. Solomon was a talented player of the
violin which he used to earn a living for his family.
The two men who abducted him had deceived him that they had
a lucrative offer of playing the instrument in a circus. They had
stereotyped Solomon in that they saw Solomon as a simple
minded person because he was African. The two men, upon
meeting Solomon, did not see a violin player who could add
value to their shows; instead, he was a slave who was not
supposed to be living freely like this man. Their actions were
based on the prejudice that the black man was a slave and under
no circumstance would he be free (Blair, I. V., 2002).
Solomon is faced with the difficulty of fighting to stay alive as
well as to redeem his dignity that had been taken away the
moment he was sold into slavery. He spends 12 years under the
dominion of his slave owner who does with him as he pleases,
including humiliation and hard labor. Solomon goes through a
lot of injustice at the hands of racially motivated men simply
because he was black. He was degraded and devalued to being
worth nothing more than a common item of possession, and he
almost became mentally and physically beat. The legacy of such
a man would be robbed of the human virtues like integrity,
justice and love (Rodriguez, 2007).This film is a testimony to
the enduring hope and determination as well as the power of
human spirit. Solomon went through all the ordeal of abuse,
isolation, kidnapping, robbed identity, beating, emotional abuse,
physical and psychological torture to force him into submission.
Despite all these dehumanizing experiences, his spirit remained
unbroken. His worst sorrowful moments in the home of Edwin
Epps, he remained strong, despite several attempts to break him.
He did not for once give up his hope of freedom. He believed
that just a word to his friends in the north would get him free.
His faith and hope triumphed all the sorrows and horrors he had
gone through. This changed, however, when he met an
abolitionist from Canada, who had committed himself to freeing
this man that had been held hostage unfairly.
The story of Solomon highlights the physical, emotional and

24. psychological abuse to which the slaves were subjected
(Fountain, 2010). Even after Solomon was freed and had come
home to his wife and children his mental state was never the
same. It could easily be assessed that the trauma he went
through had possibly caused him to develop general anxiety
disorder as well as PTSD (Kerr, L. K., 2014); he dreamt and
relived a lot of what he had gone through.
References
Blair, I. V. (2002). The malleability of automatic stereotypes
and prejudice. Personality and
Social Psychology Review, 6(3), 242-261.
doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0603_8
Fountain. D. L (2010) Slavery, Civil War, and Salvation:
African American Slaves and Christianity, 1830-1870. Baton
Rounge. Louisiana State University Press.
Kerr, L. K., (2014) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Encyclopedia of Critical
Psychology., 1466-1468. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_347
McQueen. S (2013) Twelve Years a Slave. Film
Rodriguez, J. P. (2007). Slavery in the United States: A social,
political, and historical encyclopedia.Santa Barbara, Calif:
ABC-CLIO.