Saturday, May 14, 2016

I CHARGE THE HANS BECKERT: Spike Lee's MALCOLM X vs. Fritz Lang's M


 1992's MALCOLM X and 1931's M are two artistic films, each with a poignant message in their own right. Now, at first glance, these messages may seem distant to one other, but when one takes a moment of closer and more concerned observation, there is a small yet noticeable link between these movies from such different minds and such distant lands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYZHe9r7Dd4

At the beginning of the film MALCOLM X, the audience listens to a recording of one of Minister Malcolm's most powerful (and controversial) sermons: "I Charge the White Man." Here he rants and proclaims of how the so called "white man" is the greatest murderer, kidnapper invader, drunkard etc. "on the face of this earth." In addition, he treats his sermon as if he were figuratively placing the "white man" on trial for the wicked crimes and charges he has committed. He goes on to say "He can't deny the charges. You can't deny the charges. We are the living proof of those charges." It's as if Malcolm has taken on the position of a lawyer, and his black brothers and sisters are the jury and spectators of the mock trial taking place.

"Everywhere he's gone, he's created havoc!" Malcolm states. "Everywhere he's gone, he's created destruction! There is no place in this world that that man can go and say he created peace and harmony!"

Brother Malcolm reminds the jury of what the white man had set upon his ethnic group, their grandparents, and their ancestors that came before.

"You are not an American," He says to them "You are a victim of an American! You didn't have a choice coming here! He (White Man) didn't say black man, black woman come on over and help me build America! He said, nigga get down in the boat, and I'm taking you there to help me build America."

During which in that time, we see a recording of the infamous Rodney King beating (proving his point), juxtaposing with the American flag, burned from top to bottom, left to right, until it resembles a large X, ending with the "jury" shouting: "We want Justice! We want Justice! We want Justice!" It is a perfect vision of all the hopes and dreams the majority of the oppressed and prejudiced, hoping for a fit punishment on the corrupt society that fell upon them.

As the speech comes to a close, and we continue with the film, an audience member is left to question: "What if there was an actual mock up trial, with a black jury, judge and prosecutor? What if an actual "white man," as the defendant, with all the corrupt personalities Malcolm described, was subjected to prosecution? How would the scenario play out? What moments  would be most important? And even more so, how would the white man react against all the animosity? Basically, how would he deal with what was coming to him? This is where we harken back to the climactic underground trial scene from M.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-sfrQnwwg

Towards the end of Fritz Lang's crime thriller, the character of child molester and killer Hans Beckert, (played by the ever talented and always creepy Peter Lorre), is lured into an underground cellar, where he faces a jury of petty criminals, first time bootleggers, homeless vets, and other oppressed individuals of the low class. They are all affected by the cruel, despicable act he has committed. At first, we as an audience praise his capture, and cheer for his downfall. And why not? He literally starts off in the film as a shadowy villain, whose heartless actions of capturing and killing children make us just want to punch him right in the stomach. But by the end of his underground trial, something unexpected happens. Our rage is transformed into sympathy.

At first Hans Beckert (now on his knees) scoffs at the jury,

"Who are you anyway?" He asks. "Criminals? Proud of breaking safes or cheating at cards? Things you could just as well keep your fingers off. You wouldn't need to do all that if you'd learn a proper trade...if you weren't a bunch of lazy bastards."

When taken out of context, these rants sound like they came out of  the mouth of an ignorant bigot, coming from the back woods of segregationist America.

 But soon, Hans openly admits to his crimes and misdemeanors, confessing that he is a psychopath who can't control these terrible, irrational urges of his.

"I can't help myself! I can't help what I do!" He cries. "This evil thing inside me! The fire, the voices the torment... Following me, silently. But I can feel it in here. It's me, pursuing myself! I wan't to escape, escape from myself, but I can't!!

At this point, Hans character is changed from something cruel and heartless, like Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." to something more meek and sympathetic, Like Darth Vader at the end of "Return of the Jedi." His wickedness and disheartening personality melts away to reveal a shell of what he once was, proclaiming he doesn't like doing what he does, but feels like he has to, so as to balance his addiction with a normal life.

"HOW I'M FORCED TO ACT!!" He continues "DON'T WANT TO, BUT MUST...MUST!! I CAN'T BEAR TO HEAR IT!! I CAN'T GO ON!!!

It is clear now that the villain, though sure of his mortal fate, is crying out for help with a voice of humanity, begging for the voices in his head to stop, and hoping for someone in the audience to release him from this burden he has created for himself. Though the majority of the jury wishes for nothing more than to snuff him out, we as an audience (who has sort of become part of the jury), wish for less of a public execution and more of a serious form of psychotherapy for the now pathetic individual.

As a viewer of these two films, I for one believe that Hans Beckert's reaction as well as his fate, would be very similar to that of the "White Man" during Malcolm X's trial. He would start off as the stereotypical southern sheriff: disgusting, corrupt, bigoted, scumbag, oppressing every minority in his path and jailing every driver of a different ethnicity, just because he can. His very presence would just make one's stomach churn and blood start to boil.

One night, while the sheriff committing another of his prejudiced crimes, he is knocked out by several African American individuals, and, like Peter Lorre's character, is sent to an underground cellar, occupied by a judge, two lawyers, and several hundred jurors, all members of the black community. The main prosecutor is none other than Brother Minister Malcolm X, who takes the stand and charges the sheriff for his crimes. He goes on to proclaim the speech that was said at the beginning of Spike Lee's film, bringing the jury to Malcolm's side, as would be expected.

As everyone chants: "WE WANT JUSTICE! WE WANT JUSTICE!" the sheriff lets out a hysterical scream, bringing the room to a silence. He confesses to his misdeeds, exclaiming his prejudice as an urge inside him, as if his feelings are more important to him than his duties. Then, like his Hans Beckert counterpart, he lets out a cry for help, begging for someone to stop the voices in his head, as he is reduced to a shell of his once proud form. The hate towards him is transformed into pity, revealing that no matter how corrupt a person may be, at the end of the day, they are just human. And though we certainly do not wish for a not-guilty verdict, we do hope for more of a sane, therapeutic sentence than a lethal one.

But then again, it would really be up to the jury to decide. I mean, what do I know? I'm just a man in his 20's who likes to watch movies.




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