MovieChat Forums > The Hurricane (1938) Discussion > 'you're condemning an innocent man to de...

'you're condemning an innocent man to death...'

posted 13 years ago by PussyCrusher_Principal
4 replies | jump to latest

"...out of a cold-blooded WHIM called honor and duty!"

Love when simple-but-great ideas are put forth in these old movies. Goes to show that we know better as a society (ok, maybe not as a society - in fact society or, rather, "civilization", is the problem - but at least some of us, as individuals, know better...but apparently not enough of us)than to continue on with some of the ridiculous things that go on in the name of "The Law" and what we call "Life". Terangi was sentenced, unfairly, to 6 months in prison, and when he tried to escape, "Society" (in the guise of a few rich white men - like now! But it's not just white men, it's a refusal to think instead of following the "Law" rigidly)takes it as an affront and an insult that he didn't just "take his medicine". After all, it was only 6 months out of his life, right? Just suck it up, no matter how unfair and silly it all is...and if you can't, we'll multiply your sentence exponentially! (Now THERE'S a solution!). It really boiled down to politics and the appearance of "Right" and "Strength"...the guy he punched was a big mucky-muck, so he got sent to jail even though it was really self-defense, and Raymond Massey refused to intervene on his behalf due to politics

OK, done my rant. But this movie is 74 years old, so these things (ideas) have been floating around at least that long (since the beginning of "civilization", actually), and we learn nothing and do nothing about injustices...you know, even today, that if a prisoner was found to have been unjustly incarcerated the whole time, he or she would still have it held against them if they attempted escape...

sorry, I said I was done my rant. Back to the film: jeez Dorothy Lamour was friggin' smokin' hot!

"How do you feel?"
"Like the Kling-Klang King of the Rim-Ram Room!"

[–] Suchaprettybird 13 years ago

You make some good points! :)

Both Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour are great in this.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 12 years ago

I appreciate it...The Hurricane is showing again right now! I liked it so much when I caught it the first time I bought a Korean release DVD, but they've shown it a few times since, so I've never had to actually put the DVD in the player. I'm watching again right now!

Yeah, what you said about Hall and Lamour is true....it's a shame Jon Hall didn't become a bigger star. He had all the physical stuff necessary.

"The things I do for love..." Jaime Lannister

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

It really boiled down to politics and the appearance of "Right" and "Strength"...the guy he punched was a big mucky-muck, so he got sent to jail even though it was really self-defense, and Raymond Massey refused to intervene on his behalf due to politics

I think it always boils down to one thing, fear. People who are afraid hide behind any number of things; the law is one.

It takes courage to take a stand and to stand apart. Saying 'there's nothing I can do because it's the law' is an easy cop-out. It's sad when people do their jobs or live their lives without thinking about what they're doing. They blindly follow the established 'rules' without ever really considering what they're doing or why.

I'm not suggesting we should make a habit of disregarding the rules and breaking laws but we have to consider them and not just accept them because they are the rules. In some cases they don't apply and don't make sense. In those cases we should challenge them and make it our business to try to change the laws as needed.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]