A Literary Analysis Of F. Gary Gray's Law Abiding Citizen

Law Abiding Citizen: Literary Analysis Sitting across from Clyde Alexander Shelton in a court conference room with bad news, Nick Rice informs the distraught widower that “some justice is better than no justice at all” (Gray, Law Abiding Citizen). Presented in director F. Gary Gray’s Law Abiding Citizen, one man single-handedly warps the lives of the officials in a criminal justice system. Clyde promises to bring “the whole… diseased, corrupt temple down” on the prosecuting attorney Nick Rice’s head after he makes a deal of a lighter sentence for the man who murdered Clyde’s wife and daughter, differing from the death sentence of the accomplice (Gray, Law Abiding Citizen). Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer portrays the interesting theme of retaliation
After the case arrived at court, Nick realized without firm evidence, he would not win, leading him to make the deal of a lighter sentence for the guiltier party if he agreed to testify against the innocent accomplice. Nick denied the challenge of continuing a case that was not an absolute lost cause to keep his 96% conviction rate. When breaking the news to Clyde, he became filled with dysphoria, outrage, and dissatisfaction in the sense that his young, naïve daughter and loving wife would never be avenged for their wrongful deaths. Henceforth, Clyde proceeded to plan different methods to assassinate lawyers and attorneys associated with the case. Perhaps, if Nick exerted more effort into winning Clyde’s case, there would have been a better chance of winning. One by one, each government official was slain because of his false virtue and dishonest activities. Jonas Cantrell, the district attorney, states “in this job, your best asset’s a short memory”, revealing even in times where attorneys are aware of their bad decisions, they must live with them and move on while a guiltless, mourning person suffers more than they should (Gray, Law Abiding
Because the criminal justice system of Philadelphia did not provide fairness to Clyde Shelton and bargained with a guilty convict, they received a plethora of violent proceedings as a way of turning their attention. Nick refused to continue a case that could have been successfully won. Even after proclaiming he does not make deals with criminals, Nick continuously lets Clyde prove his point that Nick is a liar and hypocrite by allowing Clyde to control him through means of bargaining. His carelessness for the case and selfishness for only watching over his conviction rate led to the early release of a deadly adversary. Clyde Shelton proceeded to take matters into his own hands, deeming his actions permissible at all costs. “Justice should be harsh, Nick, but especially for those who denied it to others,” says Clyde (Gray, Law Abiding Citizen). Wimmer illustrates the well-known theme of an “eye for an eye” in a reversal, and that perhaps, to a less extreme measure, we often commit our own actions of retaliation against