MURDER IN THE FIRST
A film review by Scott Tobias
Copyright 1995 Scott Tobias
There's a good, and timely, story trapped deep within the excess of MURDER IN THE FIRST, a new movie about the abuses of our prison system. With a country wrapped up in feverish debate over the crime issue and the rights of the accused and the incarcerated in jeopardy, this expose would offer something rare to recent American movies--a point of view.
But director Marc Rocco makes it clear from the beginning that pretentious, often nauseating, camera movements and slick, MTV- style lighting and editing are far more important. There's not a moment in the picture where he surrenders technique for pure storytelling. And everything suffers.
Christian Slater and Kevin Bacon star as defense attorney and Alcatraz inmate, respectively. After spending an unprecedented amount of time in an isolated cell for attempting to escape, Bacon murders another prisoner and faces trial. His young lawyer (Slater) is fresh out of law school but determined to "put Alcatraz on trial" for the abuses of it warden (Gary Oldman). The result is the usual courtroom theatrics- imagine a Stanley Kramer production shot by hyperactive film school students.
There's very little to praise here outside of Kevin Bacon's earnest overacting and the appropriate story. There's a lot of overacting from everyone--you know you're in trouble right away when R. Lee Ermey (the drill sergeant in FULL METAL JACKET) is cast as a judge, the center of reason and moderation. Slater has never been convincing and certainly isn't here and Oldman is on a bad streak of hammy performances.
But the worst feeling you get while watching MURDER IN THE FIRST is that the man behind the camera could care less about telling a good story. There are long exchanges of dialogue where the camera is not even moving near the characters, let alone with them. How frustrating it must be for actors to work under these conditions.
If there's anything that has alway distinguished American films over the rest of the world, it is our ability to tell a good story. Have we forgotten?
*1/2 (out of four)
Written by Scott Tobias
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