Rebirth Once More: Image Analysis in Murder in the First

When I first viewed Kevin Bacon’s character, Henri Young lying naked on the bottom of a dimly lit hole my mind was instantly directed towards the thought of an infant in the womb. As a baby, Young is in the nude and his body is somewhat in the fetal position: his back is curved, his head is bowed, and his limbs are bent and drawn up to the torso. In addition to being in a similar confined space that a baby experiences this parallel is visually successful once the elements are combined and left me tingling with excitement upon discovering the underlying narratives it could provide.

Continuing the movie we see this infant representation take shape. I did not make the connection until Christian Slater’s character, James Stamphill’s first day in court when he unleashes his groundbreaking argument. He says that Young’s time in the hole influenced and shaped him into a killer. This made me think of the womb once more as a place of rebirth and new life. Young was inside this figurative womb for months and was reborn into a psychotic madman. This confined space changed and formed Young much like a baby develops and forms within the womb. Lastly along with creating parallels this image creates a dichotomy between the positive connotations associated with childbirth and the negative connotations associated with solitary confinement. Creating this dichotomy also brings up an interesting dynamic where two very different subject matters connect through a certain medium.

Religious Symbolism in Murder in the First

After revisiting the movie a second time, I noticed many religious symbols in the beginning of Murder in the First. Whether intentional or not, they add a different texture to the intended meanings in the movie.

Early in the movie, several inmates are led in the very famous Christian prayer, "Our Father." This is the most known prayer and it is said at every Sunday mass. Immediately following is a scene where Henry Young is being whipped and punished for trying to escape Alcatraz. This prayer is important during Reconciliation because it includes words like, 'forgive us for our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.' This prayer, in a way, is supposed to be able to renew one from their sins and give them a second chance. Henry Young is paying for trying to escape and this his first steps to reconciliation.

A bit later in the movie, there's a scene where the guards tie Henry Young's hands to the walls that him arms are completely outstretched, just like how Jesus's arms were outstretched on the cross right before he died. As a bold statement, Henry Young is being used as a metaphor for Jesus Christ. After you think about it, it makes sense because Young had to suffer in order for change had to happen within the penitentiary system. Henry Young died so that prisoners after him wouldn't have to suffer in solitary as bad as he did. Although difficult to see Young as a martyr, this blatant comparison tries to make a statement about the significant role he played in changing the penal system.

The movie also mentions Christmas, which is actually the birth of baby Jesus. In this Christmas on Alcatraz, some carolers are singing a tune one wouldn't expect from the cheer holiday. The song they are singing is a bit haunting making the audience feel a bit uncomfortable. This is the same time that Henry Young is first allowed out of solitary as he gets a haircut to symbolize his 'rebirth'. This could also be seen as the birth of the catatonic killer that has surfaced because of Alcatraz. Aside from the religious aspect, Christmas was just another chance to show how lonely Young is and how lonely he would be on Alcatraz.

Although some of these religious comparisons may be a bit stretched, they are still apparent in the movie. These symbols are able to add another layer of understanding of Henry Young and Alcatraz and the religious symbols they stand for.

~K.G.

A Review of Murder in the First: Too Dramatized to Seem Realistic

For a movie that centered mostly a courtroom setting, Murder in the First seemed fairly unrealistic, even for a dramatic movie, because there were many inaccuracies within the courtroom. I felt as though they really put their artistic license to use and created a movie that seemed overly dramatized. Christian Slater seemed to ask every question by yelling at the witness. He acted as though each question he asked was ground breaking and case-altering. Also, he would lead the witnesses on by asking several questions at once and giving them only a chance to answer the last one. Lawyers are not allowed to do this in court, but the judge only stopped him a few times. The judge and the prosecuting attorney would also yell quite frequently and I felt that it came off as too dramatic.

There were also a lot of scenes that had very dramatic build ups. There were several times that Christian Slater would be running somewhere and it seemed like the scene was just added to build up the following scene; however, it was used too many times so it lost its effect. Also, the scenes following the dramatic runs often seemed anti-climactic after the buildup given for it. I really liked the movie for the most part, but I think they could have played it down a little and it wouldn’t have seemed so “Hollywood.”

~A.R.

Contrasting Images during the Opening Credits of Murder in the First

There is a significant number of contrasting and graphic images illustrated throughout the opening credits of Murder in the First (1995). The film opens with no images, but rather the chaotic mixture of sounds, including sirens blaring, footsteps running, and voices yelling. The sound of two gunshots is herd, followed by a voice saying, “I give up Mr. Glenn. Please don’t hit me.” This beginning part is ended with “Call the press!” Beginning the film in this manner is impactful and powerful, but it is strange that amid all of the chaos and disorder, the media and the press is on the mind of Mr. Glenn.

The next scene is a very sharp distinction from the opening of the film. The scene shifts dramatically, as it goes from the confusion of the attempted escape to a news report depicting the escape. However, the music accompanying the news report seems inappropriate and unsuitable, as the music sounds triumphant and somewhat cheerful, even though it is describing a very serious event. The news portrays the death of two of the escapees in a very light manner, as he says that those two prisoners were “destined for the morgue.” The news report then shows an image of one of the dead bodies with a guard standing next to it, waving and smiling at the camera. In addition, the news reporter describes the warden as “proud” and explains how he “congratulates” the guards for catching the escapees. This scene seems very unfitting and out-of-place in relation to the seriousness and atrocities that are illustrated throughout the rest of the film.

The following scene switches to a grotesque image of the body of Henry Young huddled on a slab of concrete in his solitary confinement cell. Once again, contrasting images are prevalent throughout this scene. After Young is thrown a small amount of food in his dark, tiny cell, a scenic view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge is presented, then it flashes back to Young attempting to slit his wrists on the brick in his cell. This constant change from Henry Young’s solitary confinement cell to the world outside of Alcatraz creates an emphasis on the horrific treatment of the prisoners of Alcatraz.

Furthermore, the next part of the film shows a prayer being said, but quickly switches to an unsettling image of the associate warden, Mr. Glenn, whipping Henry Young, while a guard stands outside the cell with a neutral and indifferent expression on his face. Moreover, Young is shown eating his measly pieces of bread inside of his dark, filthy cell, while an image of the guards eating sandwiches outside by the water on a bright day is presented immediately after.

These constant opposing images create a strong impact and powerful depiction of the horrifying treatment of the prisoners of Alcatraz and the gruesome conditions that they were forced to endure.

~A.B.

Considering the Media and Alcatraz in Murder in the First

Dateline news segments of today are usually depressing, packed with crime, murder, and economic distress. However, the opening scene of Murder in the First is a rather upbeat Dateline report of a foiled escape attempt from Alcatraz. The guards are congratulated on their excellence in apprehending the escapees instead of being reprimanded for allowing the prisoners to get out in the first place. They are even quoted as being jubilant and showing off their battle scars, all with smiles on their faces. The news reports seem to be disjointed with the rest of the movie. Its peppy tone is very different from the gruesome treatment of the prisoners. This account of success on the guards part is a stark contrast to the following scene and the rest of the movie.

Henry Young stole $5 and tried to escape from Alcatraz, leading him to solitary confinement in the dungeons of the prison, with little human contact and hardly any sight of the outside world. The conditions were horrendous and inhumane. He was also abused in his time there. Young was whipped, clubbed, cut and shackled. His treatment left him both physically and mentally incapacitated. These vile acts committed against Young were very difficult to watch as he screamed in pain and anguish. It is disturbing to think that is the manner in which prisoners of the time were treated. Being isolated and tormented for years caused a significant amount of damage to Young. The film examines how Alcatraz’s inhumane treatment affect their prisoner’s psyches. It is because of his treatment that Young murders Russ McCain, almost immediately after he is released from the dungeon.

The short clips of news reports stand out during the film because they are incongruent with the rest of the movie. They carry a different tone than the subject matter. A reason behind their placement could be to demonstrate for the audience just how little accurate knowledge was presented to the general public at time about the prison. Especially, what is what really like on the island. They saw happy faces of guards and the warden instead of brutally beaten prisoners.

There is no mention of the treatment of the prisoners in the news reports. The dirty details are omitted to make the story have a happy ending. Shielding the public from the actual occurrences on the island. It isn’t until the Alcatraz is put on trial that the prison’s gruesome details get examined. No attention is paid to the to treatment of these prisoners. Much of the general population thinks they are horrible monsters. Little do they know spots in the prison are filled with some petty criminals for budgetary reasons.

~J.G

The Centrality of Companionship in Murder in the First

It is surprising to see in Murder in the First how Henry Young views his situation. He has just murdered a man in a very brutal way and is going to be sentenced to death. However, the only thing in his mind was that he had gained a friend. He did not care about winning the case, or saving his life, he cared about the company that his lawyer James provided. The relationship between Henry and James is exceedingly moving. In this film one sees how friendship is able to provide comfort, strength, and hope to man that could be viewed as a lost cause.

In one of the first scenes from his time in solitary, Henry Young is shown tenderly and almost lovingly feeding a spider. This is quite surprising since most people are usually inclined to avoid spiders. Nevertheless, an explanation is provided later from Young himself. When speaking to James about his years in the dungeon, Henry highlights the significance of the spider. As he described it, he felt that he had a companion. This demonstrates that he was desperately looking for some sort of company.

Henry Young was tortured and isolated for over three years, and the trauma that this caused surfaced during his interaction with the lawyer. At first, Henry appeared to be mentally incapacitated, speaking no words and showing no signs of comprehension. However, once he familiarized himself with James, he began to talk and insist on playing card games. As his case became more heated, James demanded cooperation from the Young and when he did not obtain it he got furious. Henry responded by saying that he does not care about the trial, “I don’t need a lawyer, I need a friend.” This
indicates that nothing is more important to him than friendship since it was this new bond that allowed him to enjoy life again and transform himself from an emotionally unstable individual to a more jovial and hopeful person.

At the end of the movie, James won the case and Henry was declared not guilty. Nevertheless, what made Henry more happy than anything else was that he would soon be working with James again. Some of his final words to James were “Henry and Jim together again.” Henry was victorious, but not because of the court’s decision, but because of his newly acquired comrade.

Henry Young, a troubled criminal of Alcatraz, barred from any human interaction for over three years, found a companion and with that, a reason to keep fighting.

~A.B.