The Life of David Gale

Trivialising an imperative

The Life of David Gale (Widescreen Edition) 

Alan Parker’s “The Life of David Gale” is a really, really stupid film about a really, really vital subject. Is the Death Penalty justifiable, defensible? When? How does it square with fundamental human rights?

Ostensibly, the film is supposed to explore the issue. Instead, it rapidly degenerates into a wildly melodramatic, totally ludicrous tear-jerker full of contrivances and awkwardnesses. Kevin Spacey manages to hold your attention but even he can’t do very much about the abounding vapidity and ponderous, elephantine, self-important gait and structure of the film. Parker successfully jumps over all the important questions - to which there aren’t any firm answers, incidentally, just ongoing debate and much to be said on both sides - and, instead, gives us treacle and pat solutions. If only life was that simple. In any case, I’m glad I’m in good company in my views.

The film has some exceptionally powerful lines, though, worth reading. Here’s the strongest, by Spacey when he is teaching.

According to the Lacan, fantasies have to be unrealistic. The moment you get what you see, you don’t want it any more. In order to continue to exist, desire must have its objects perpetually absent. It’s not the it that you want, it’s the fantasy of it. Desire supports crazy fantasies. According to Pascal, we are only truly happy when daydreaming about future happiness. Therefore, “the hunt is sweeter than the kill.” Also, and therefore, be careful what you wish for; not because you’ll get it, but because you’re bound not to want it once you do. As Lacan says, leading by your wants will never make you truly happy. Therefore, to be fully human, you have to strive to live by your ideals and ideas, and not to measure your life in terms of what desires you have gained but by those small moments of integrity, compassion, rationality and self-sacrifice. The only way we can measure the significance of our own lives, therefore, is by valuing the lives of others.  

January 19, 2004 |  movies |   print