Within A Time to Kill, one’s emotions fluctuate among each other in a dynamic matter. The viewer of the motion picture feels a range of emotions. Everything from hate to sympathy and anger to brokenness is felt. Many of the viewers are brought to tears within the movie along with some of the characters. Among these emotions, empathy is most definitely felt by the viewer multiple times. However, there is one instance in where both the viewer and the characters are simultaneously made to feel empathetic. This occurs when Jake Brigand addresses the jury for his summation statement at the end of the court case. Jake Brigand does this by asking the jurors to picture themselves at the scene of the horrific rape which took place to Carl Lee’s daughter. In doing so, he vividly describes the rape as it had taken place, not leaving out any minor details or sugar coating it in any way. As he does this, the jurors can be seen in an uncomfortable manner; for some, they shift in their seat, for others, tears start to run down their face. As the viewer, one is unable to detach themselves from the scene he is describing and ends up putting themselves in the same position the jurors are. Both the viewers and the jurors see themselves as a bystander as this horrific act which takes place. They see the rape happening and cannot help but feel for the little girl who is the victim.  Jake Brigand is invoking this empathy. The matter in which he does it is the only way to have the jurors see the case through un-biased eyes. Jake’s approach to this also causes the same thing to happen to the viewers. Both the viewers and the jurors then not only feel sympathy for the little girl who was raped, but also for her father who did what he thought was just. One is invoked to feel empathy here because it puts them in a position where they can imagine the suffering of the little girl and Carl Lee.

I believe that the empathy taking place is a real empathy for both the viewer and the jurors within the movie. Although the viewer understands that the whole thing is part of a motion picture and is not actually happening, the empathy felt is still very real. My main reasoning for thinking this is because both the viewer and the jurors want to take action. The viewers root for Carl Lee to go free and the jurors change their minds on from, a guilty verdict to a not guilty verdict, acquitting Carl lee. I don’t believe apparent empathy causes people to take significant action like the jury did in the movie or the significant action that the viewers wanted to take; only real empathy causes this drive. Also, at least in my personal case, the empathy felt for this girl has not gone away yet after the movie is finished, it still lingers in my emotional consciousness even though I am full aware that what has taken place is fictional.

Works Cited:

A Time To Kill.  Joel Schumacher. Regency Enterprises, Warner Bros 1996. Swank Motion Pictures. Web. 20 September 2017.