A German proverb says: Revenge converts a little right into a great wrong. Eastwood’s film Mystic River agrees with this piece of general truth. Rather than leaving the case to the professionals, Jimmy instead takes matters into his own hands. He seeks revenge against Dave as he is under the impression of Dave being the guilty murderer of his daughter Katie. In doing so, Jimmy’s revenge is justified with his own murder of Dave. The “wrong” in which Jimmy performs is expected and understood: his killing of “Just Ray” Harris back in the 1980s was done in similar fashion. The impulsive decision to kill Dave haunts Jimmy as soon as the next day as he learns of Dave’s true innocence. Jimmy’s actions are shown to be both unjust and absolutely inaccurate after Silent Ray and John O’Shea confess.
Despite Jimmy choosing the wrong way to handle the situation and his anger, his hasty decision brings a little right to the tragedy. Following his wife’s words towards the end of the movie, Jimmy is told to ignore his remorse because he committed his crime with the right intentions in mind. His ability to do whatever it takes for his family shows just how loyal and committed he is to protecting his family. Although he is faced with the continuation of guilt, from the childhood incident to the wrongful murder of Dave, Jimmy can relieve some of the blame as he finds comfort in knowing his actions reflected the wish to shield his family from any harm. 
Your analysis of what is morally right and lawfully right is interesting! I enjoy how you draw the parallel between the love of family and the loss of life. Yet, are Jimmy's murderous intentions truly neutralized because of his "intentions"? Does doing what one sees as right in one's eyes negate the harm others feel? Jimmy does act in the right mindset as you mention. I, still, wonder where the line between intention and reality lies.
ReplyDeleteThe justification for Jimmy’s murder could also be applied to Dave. He had the best intentions when he killed the molester because of his past and his want to protect the child. However, he still committed murder. Dave gets his revenge for his past on the child molester but the lies he tells after this event leads to his death—a great wrong.
ReplyDelete