‘JUST MERCY’ LEAVES POWERFUL IMPACT

I remember watching the trailer of the movie “Just Mercy” and instantly wanting to see it. At first glance, it looked like a really powerful and impactful movie.

It’s a drama, based on a true story that outlines the life of lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who fights for the rights of innocent African Americans who are wrongly convicted of crimes and facing death row.

The movie portrays Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan) as a noble and strong individual who doesn’t give up, even when the going gets tough.

This film really made me think about law enforcement and how accurate or inaccurate evidence or a witness’s testimony can be sometimes. I had never really thought about how strongly this can influence whether someone ends up convicted, or not.

Stevenson also founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization in Montgomery, Alabama, that assists prisoners who may have been convicted of a crime wrongfully and provides legal representation. He had the goal of promoting justice in the legal system and doing everything in his power to free those who are wrongly convicted.

The movie outlines the story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) and how he was wrongly convicted of the murder of 18-year-old Ronda Morrison and sentenced to death row in the 1988 trial, primarily based on the false testimony of a witness, Ralph Myers. Myers claimed that he saw McMillian commit the crime; the movie hints that officers and law enforcement influenced him, since he received a lighter sentence for his own crime because of his testimony.

After multiple trials and attempts to get a retrial, McMillian is at last granted a new trial by the state supreme court, and the charges are dropped. He had been on death row for six years.

In Stevenson’s plea for McMillian in this last trial, he emphasizes that the evidence held against the defendant isn’t supported, and there is little confirmation that he committed this crime. We also see there are witnesses who were with McMillian (elsewhere) during the time and day of the crime.

This is an emotional and heartfelt film, and it showcases the feelings of McMillian and his family as they go through these experiences.

I also enjoyed the costumes and set designs in the film. They were well chosen and connected to the scenes and real-life events that took place.

Just Mercy also reminded me of the civil rights movement and how that was a tough time in history for African Americans. Although there have been many positive developments over the years, there are still improvements that can be made.

This movie’s ending is inspiring, but the events that take place were tragic and unfortunate.

5/5