I first saw the film around the time it came out, but just last in the last few days I decided to do a blog post on it, because it's a movie that has provoked my thoughts for a long time. Here is my post:
http://kylopod.blogspot.com/2009/11/arguing-with-fear.html
Read your article and I agree. It must break your heart, like mine, to hear young people on this board rejoice in the bad-assedness of fishburne's character and others like him. It's like you said: "They aren't afraid they'll ever be that suspect;" Then one day they are and it's "oh, s%^t!" "How can this be happening to me?"
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Interesting perspective and I'm surprised you haven't had more comments over the years.
I liked the thrust of your article, but I think you're giving credit where it's not due. I don't think the movie is smart enough to suggest the earlier brutality should be condoned. I think, it's just throwing it back into the viewers' collective faces and attempting to claim some sort of ill-defined cleverness with its abundant red herrings.
No argument from me when you claim that
... the movie is a mess, with a ludicrous ending.Convicted murderers doing deal murders, no apparent records of jail castrations, liberal homages and references to far more eminent films, etc.