Free Essay On Film Review

A Few Good Men is a film by Rob Reiner that shows a scandal that had occurred in Guantanamo Bay. The story revolves around two Marines accused or slaying their colleague. The film attempts to understand whether the killing was manslaughter or murder. It also attempts to identify whether the accused Marines followed orders from their superiors or not. The accused were Harold Dawson and Louden Downey. Dawson and Downey are accused of killing Private William Santiago using a piece of fabric that caused his respiratory problems. JoAnne Galloway, a lawyer and a marine investigator believes that the suspects used a “code red” order. The “code red” order is a brutal extrajudicial penalty. She leaves the case to Lieutenant Daniel Kafee. The trail establishes the use of the “code red” order as the punishment that killed Santiago. Several facts arise from the court case, such as Downey absence when the “code red” order was given and the fact that Jessup ordered the “code red” punishment that killed Santiago. The court convicts Jessup for giving the “code red” order. At the same time, the court finds Downey and Dawson innocent of Santiago’s death, but dishonorably dismisses them for misconduct.
The movie has numerous ethical dilemmas. The first ethical dilemma is on the Private William Santiago’s character. Santiago is not an admirable character as indicated by his inability to work with other Marines. Most of his coworkers dislike him. Prior to his death, he wanted to reveal Dawson’s identity to the enemy prompting Dawson to shoot him. Santiago had also revealed the confrontation to his superiors. However, the ethical dilemma in this incident is whether he was doing his duty as a Marine or whether he wanted to punish Dawson.
The second ethical dilemma in the movie is evident in the character of Lt. Daniel Kaffee. The lieutenant remains perplexed on whether to identify the actual truth or settle everything in court. The movie uncovers that Lt. Kafee had issued the “code red” order, but he did not order Dawson and Downey to kill Santiago.
The third ethical dilemma in the film is whether the “code red” training killed Santiago. Senior Marine officers used the order to prevent officers from running away. Later, Kafee reveals that Jessup had ordered the punishment. At the same time, Santiago did not die from the “code red” order, but instead respiratory problems caused by a piece of fabric forced into his mouth.
I learned several lessons from the movie. The primary lesson includes the value of relationships. We are social beings who mostly survive because of the relationships we establish in life. However, Santiago does not understand the importance of relationships in his line of duty. His death makes me understand the significance of respecting and have a close relationship with people close to me. Santiago could not have died if he knew how to work with his co-workers. The second lesson from the movie includes sympathy. The character of Dawson and Downey made me wonder whether Santiago’s death was justifiable. I learned the importance of respecting other people’s lives because they too have families that rely on him. Additionally, I learned from the movie that one cannot hide the truth forever. The court disclosed that Jessup had given the “code red” command.
I believe that teamwork is the main message in the film A Few Good Men. Santiago had problems teaming up with his colleagues at any position. He had even requested for a transfer because of the frequent conflicts he had with his colleagues. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge the presence and importance of other people to prevent problems, either at home, school or workplace.