Last night we saw Just Mercy, a movie based on the true story of attorney Bryan Stevenson’s fight to free wrongly-convicted Walter McMillian. Adapted from the book by the same name, the movie was shown in select theaters on Dec. 25 but was released across the country yesterday. You can read what I learned from the book in Wednesday’s post.
Below are our reflections after watching Just Mercy.
After reading Just Mercy, I was excited to see the movie. It was a really profound portrayal of Walter McMillian’s story. The relatively simple filming style allowed the raw emotion of McMillian’s case and the imminent fear of death row to be front and center. I thought the movie depicted Stevenson’s experience working in a community that is both similar and different to his own in a way that the book couldn’t show quite as well. While Stevenson experienced police misconduct himself, engaging with the Monroeville community allowed him to understand the daily lives of the people that he helps. The scene portraying the execution of another prisoner was particularly impactful- it reminded me of what I read about the recent execution of an inmate in Tennessee. Anyone who sees the movie should also read the book to learn more about the complexities of the case and the problems of mass incarceration, injustice and racism. -Alexa
I went into the movie knowing just a few basic facts about it: the true story takes place in Alabama, an inmate on death row is released, and the theme of racial discrimination is unpacked. However, you can read about all the details of mass incarceration and racial discrimination and still never truly get it, which is why watching Just Mercy in theaters was simply eye-opening. Seeing the brutality, pain and discrimination that Stevenson endured because of his work in the South and also the sheer absence of hope on death row was something I never could have imagined on my own. The movie enabled me to visualize the agonizing moments before electrocution (to the point that I almost had to leave the theater to throw up) and has allowed me space to seriously consider the failures of reconstruction and justice in the South, years after the civil rights movement. -Angel
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