St Edward's Academic Review 2025

ACADEMIC REVIEW 2025

Choices made in adaptation of the ending of the memoir Choices made in the adaptation of the ending of Just Mercy to the film version affect the portrayal of the criminal justice system by giving it a more positive and triumphalist tone in comparison to the realist approach of the memoir. In the text, the ending marks a culmination of Stevenson’s journey which began at the beginning of the memoir. He credits Walter for what he has learnt about justice and mercy: ‘Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given’ (p. 314). However, the memoir does not settle for a simplistic happy ending. It serves as a mirror held up to the criminal justice system, reflecting its flaws and deep-rooted problems. The ending stands as a reminder of the failure of the system that is meant to protect its people. On the other hand, the film concludes on a more hopeful note. When Stevenson and the newly freed Walter attend a conference Stevenson reflects ‘We all need mercy, we all need justice, and perhaps we all need some measure of unmerited grace.’ This statement, presented at an earlier juncture in the text, is strategically placed towards the end in the film to invoke a more poignant emotional effect. uses photos accompanied by music and text to tell the story. The kinestasis focuses on each of the primary characters highlighting their journey in the years since the events of the narrative using their photos. The film concludes with a final shot of a statistic written in white characters on a black background: ‘For every nine people who have been executed in the US, one person on death row has been proven innocent and released, a shocking rate of error.’ However, the film’s triumphalist narrative can be subject to criticism. It potentially suggests that with enough hard work, an individual can overcome a system. In reality, the majority of death row inmates are victims of the system, a point which the text underscores with a more realist approach. For example, the memoir does not end at Walter’s court trial when Stevenson saves him, and instead continues for two more chapters. The movie adheres to the tradition of cinematic closure which suggests that more positive endings make for more cathartic and successful films (Neupert, 1995). The result is a less realistic depiction of the still-current flaws of the criminal justice system. Moreover, the film employs kinestasis, a rapidly moving montage technique (Darvideo, 2024), which

In comparison, the memoir, while acknowledging positives such as the Equal Justice Initiative set up by Stevenson to combat race and poverty, highlights the need to understand the racial history of the US, and stresses that there is still substantial work to be done. Furthermore, it emphasises how African Americans continue to be racially profiled even today. An example of this is when Stevenson, dressed in a suit and tie, is mistaken for a convict by a judge. Stevenson, after this experience, reflects that ‘constantly being suspected, accused, watched, doubted, distrusted, presumed guilty, and even feared is the burden borne by people of color’ (p. 301). Stevenson uses a series of strong and negative adjectives that convey the scrutiny and discrimination faced by African Americans. Overall, the choices made in the film adaptation result in the film ending on a more positive note, right after the success of Walter’s trial. This has the effect of suggesting that the problems in the criminal justice system can be solved by one man if he tries hard enough. I argue that this is a misleading suggestion when there are deep-rooted structural flaws in the justice system.

‘ For every nine people who have been executed in the US, one person on death row has been proven innocent and released, a shocking rate of error ’

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