I kept waiting and waiting for Orson Wells to show up...which he doesn't do till the last third of this film, which means you spend a lot of time with these two young college students Artie Strauss and Judd Steiner. They set up their dynamic with Judd being intellectually arrogant, but lacking in social skills and Artie being the more skilled social navigator and the dominant in their relationship. Both boys have a certain amount of arrogance and they lack any other friends. The two bond...kind of over their disdain for others and attempt the perfect crime a kidnapping and murder of of a local boy named Pauline Kessler. A fellow law student and scholarship classmate named Sid Brooks is the one who really throws a monkey wrench in their plans and makes a deduction that gets the two killers caught. Artie and Judd both come from extremely wealthy families...which may be part of the problem as they lack empathy for others. Their families eventually hire the famous lawyer Jonathan Wilk who makes a very compelling argument against the death penalty.
The film is a take on the real Leopold-Leob murder case from 1924 Chicago...they thought they had superior intellect which enabled and entitled them to carry out the perfect crime. Real life lawyer Clarence Darrow gave a 12 hour summation at the hearing primarily about capital punishment being retributive vs transformative. The two boys did go to prison life plus 99 years...Leob was murdered in prison by a fellow inmate, but Leopold was released on parole, went on to marry and become a teacher.
This is a sad and disturbing film that just left me feeling uneasy about mankind in general. I can recommend this as a watch for anyone interested in our legal system here in the United States...no matter what side you agree with. Unsettling.
The film is a take on the real Leopold-Leob murder case from 1924 Chicago...they thought they had superior intellect which enabled and entitled them to carry out the perfect crime. Real life lawyer Clarence Darrow gave a 12 hour summation at the hearing primarily about capital punishment being retributive vs transformative. The two boys did go to prison life plus 99 years...Leob was murdered in prison by a fellow inmate, but Leopold was released on parole, went on to marry and become a teacher.
This is a sad and disturbing film that just left me feeling uneasy about mankind in general. I can recommend this as a watch for anyone interested in our legal system here in the United States...no matter what side you agree with. Unsettling.
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