Is the film not good enough to garner a topical conversation?

Originally, star chambers existed to judge those who feudal judges did not have the power to judge: royals, nobles, clergy, etc. The star chambers, far from extra-legal, vigilante courts, were more akin to the U.S. Supreme court than what this movie portrays.

This film's definition of "star chamber" is a court that deals with low-life street criminals because of a law enforcement system that is sorely lacking in justice.

The law enforcement system is indeed sorely lacking, but the solutions to street crimes proffered by political animals have been "zero tolerance", "mandatory sentencing" and "three strikes" laws. In other words, nothing that deals with the real problem, which is not our constitution, but our lazy, over-paid, corrupt cops and the lousy training they receive before being issued their guns and badges. Now that we have the technology, we need to have a system where cops are on the line, real-time, with real lawyers who can give them the advice they need to move forward with searches, with interrogations, with every aspect of their job that too few of them have proven they know well enough not to let criminals go on technicalities. If we end the pointless drug war and let cops focus on real crimes while health professionals and educators work to prevent and treat drug abuse/addiction, we can have the safer, saner world we want. That is, if the REAL criminals can finally be put out of our misery.

The only star chamber we really need now is more like the star chamber of old. This time, the very real crimes of people such as various oil company executives, Wall Street bankers, racist killer cops, and politicians (some posing as judges) on the take are the crimes that need justice served upon them. The justice we need is DENIED us because the people who are supposed to prosecute and convict these maniacs are either their family and friends, or their benefactors.


Love is like breathing. You have to take some in and let it out to live.