St Edward's Academic Review 2025

ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD

Conclusion

for these characters. It ends with an optimistic tone, suggesting that individual effort has the potential to overcome systemic flaws. However, this portrayal may be misleading, given the memoir’s in-depth exploration of systemic issues. Exploring the changes in narrative focus in the adaptation to film effectively illustrates how a change in medium can impact the portrayal of the criminal justice system. The memoir’s broad perspective offers a comprehensive critique of systemic flaws. In contrast the film focuses on a few key characters’ experiences and provides an emotionally engaging, but narrower view, which risks oversimplifying the complexity of the issue being presented in the text. The change in narrative techniques highlights the critical role they play in shaping the understanding of the scale of the systemic issue.

In conclusion, the decisions made in the film adaptation significantly influence the portrayal of the criminal justice system. Whilst both text and film are effective in their portrayals, they offer different perspectives of systemic issues. Overall, Bryan Stevenson’s memoir, offers a more comprehensive critique of the criminal justice system. It explores extensive backstories and multiple narratives, providing a detailed exploration of systemic issues. The memoir more effectively exposes the deep rooted problems of the criminal justice system, focusing on exposing how racism is ingrained in the criminal justice system in the US. Stevenson utilises historical context, legal analysis, and personal narratives to expose structural racism in America. The film offers the audience a more personalised experience through focusing the visual narrative on a few key characters to enhance the audience empathy

Bibliography

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ movies/movie-news/how-just-mercys editor-drew-emotion-a-courtroom scene-1265422/ Habtehans, A. (2023, July 20). Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Powerful Memoir of Advocacy and Empathy . Retrieved March 18, 2024, from Register Forum: https://registerforum. org/19037/arts-entertainment/bryan stevensons-just-mercy-a-powerful memoir-of-advocacy-and-empathy/ Julian Films. (2020, June 7). Just Mercy: The Courtroom Monologue . Retrieved April 2, 2024, from Julian Films: https://julianfilms.wixsite.com/ blog/post/just-mercy-the-courtroom monologue Kerr, L. (2017). Review: How to end mass imprisonment: the legal and cultural strategies of Bryan Stevenson. The University of Toronto Law Journal, 67 (1), 104-123. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/ stable/90000005?seq=1 Koseluk, C. (2020, January 14). Director Destin Daniel Cretton on Adapting Bryan’s Stevenson’s Just Mercy . Retrieved April 4, 2024, from The Credits: https://www.motionpictures. org/2020/01/director-destin daniel-cretton-on-adapting-bryans stevensons-just-mercy/#:~:text=“I%20

was%20never%20expecting%20 that,to%20help%20tell%20this%20st ory.” Neupert, R. (1995). The End: Narration and Closure in the Cinema. Detriot: Wayne State University Press. Stevenson, B. (2018, October 30). Creating Justice . Retrieved March 25, 2024, from BYU speeches: https:// Stevenson, B. (2018). Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption . New York: Spiegel & Grau. Stevenson, B., Cretton, D. D., Lanham, A. (Writers), & Cretton, D. D. (Director). (2019). Just Mercy [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Bros. speeches.byu.edu/talks/bryan stevenson/creating-justice/

Bamford, T. (2023, January 3). REVIEW: ‘Just Mercy’ — A lesson in missing the point . Retrieved March 16, 2024, from Purely Dicta: https:// purelydicta.com/2023/01/03/review just-mercy/ Darvideo. (2024). KINESTASIS . Retrieved March 7 2024, from Darvideo: https:// darvideo.tv/dictionary/ kinestasis/#:~:text=Kinestasis%20 is%20an%20animation%20 method,and%20static%20to%20 mean%20still. Dennill, B. (2020, May 26). Film Interview: Bryan Stevenson – Just Mercy: Inspired By Inequality, Or To Kill A Mistake . Retrieved March 23, 2024, from Participate: https:// www.brucedennill.co.za/2020/05/26/ film-interview-bryan-stevenson-just mercy-inspired-by-inequality-or-to kill-a-mistake/ Fattal, A. B. (2020, June 28). ‘Just Mercy’ explores racial bias, inequality in U.S. criminal justice system . Retrieved April 1, 2024, from FIU News: https://news.fiu.edu/2020/just-mercy explores-racial-bias,-inequality-in-u.s.- criminal-justice-system Giardina, C. (2020, January 7). How ‘Just Mercy’s’ Editor Drew Emotion From a Courtroom Scene . Retrieved March 4, 2024, from The Hollywood Reporter:

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