MOVIE ESSAY/ ANALYSIS

A FEW GOOD MEN

A Few Good Men is set in Washington D.C. during the 90’s. It harbors great
actors such as Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. Daniel Kaffee, the main
character, is a young lawyer in the shadow of his dead father. He is assigned
to the case of Dawson and Downey, two marines accused of murdering
another marine.

A Few Good men stars Tom Cruise as united states navy lieutenant Daniel
Kaffee, Jack Nicholson as marine Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, and Demi Moore
as Navy Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, and J.T Walsh as Jessup’s
assistant and executive officer. Kevin Bacon, Keith Sutherland, Cuba Gooding
Jr., and Joshua Malina are among the multiple actors/actress featured in this
movie. The trouble begans when a young marine by the name of William
Santiago is found dead in his barracks at Guantanamo Naval Base Cuba,
Santiago wanted to transfer out of his workplace but Jessup felt that it was
unnecessary.

The character of Jessup is shown quoting that he goes by the needs of the
marines. This belief is not wrong, it is something else that I must avoid
saying out of courtesy for those who have yet to see the movie that makes a
person with a conscience shake their head at the Jekyll and Ms. Hyde nature
of colonel Nathan R. Jessup . Although a dramatic movie, my favorite scene
of the movie was when the character of Nathan R. Jessup was called to the
court room stand because Nicholson’s shrewd portrayal of Colonel Nathan R.
Jessup also brought out the best in the character portrayals that came from
Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon. There are multiple military
references in A Few Good men such as the judge advocate general corps and
it depicted in the movie that the setting was meant to portray the
Washington Navy yard.

The movie is based on a code red. A Code Red is when marines discipline
another marine who is slacking off, messing around, or talking back. Code
Reds are illegal because most of them are taken too far and can lead to
injuries that may be fatal. Dawson and Downey ‘code red” a fellow marine by
gagging him with a rag. The rag makes the marine bleed and ends up dying.

Kaffee meets Joanne, a naval internal investigator that is sent to help him
solve the case. Sam, another lawyer, is also assigned to the case. None of
these three like each other and have to learn to work together. They all have
strengths, and weaknesses. Kaffee is an amazing talker and can get himself
out of sketchy spots, but has never been in a courtroom, despite having 44
cases under his belt. Joanne is an amazing investigator, but has never solved
a case and wants to prove everyone wrong. Sam has a calm personality and
never lets anything get to him, but doesn’t quite know what's going on in the
case. Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson, portrays exactly what’s
expected from a military officer.

As a Law Graduate, I have always been fond of courtroom dramas. I have

always enjoyed watching lawyers and prosecutors giving their opening
speeches, doing their job the best way they can, and closing statements. I
love everything regarding those things. "A Few Good Men" is perhaps the
best courtroom drama so far.

Lt. Daniel Kaffe (Tom Cruise in an excellent performance) has to defend two
U.S. Marines accused of accidentally murdering one of their colleagues
because they were ordered to carry out a disciplinary punishment called
'Code Red'.

The characters fulfill their performances well: Jack Nicholson -in a scene-
stealing performance -as the commander of the accused soldiers, the late
J.T. Walsh as his executive officer, J.A. Preston as the judge on this court
martial, and Kevin Bacon as the prosecuting Marine. The only person I feel
uncomfortable with is Demi Moore as the Navy officer who pushes Kaffe to
the limit in his duty as a defending lawyer; she seems to me like a rag doll,
just a cast-filler. This is a great movie all the same.

Excellent film! It explores the depths of hardcore authoritarian leadership

and its effects on all who follow as well as how it impacts those not under
their leadership.
There are several dialogues that are noteworthy, and that makes sense
seeing as this came from a play. In a play, the lines delivered are important,
articulate, profound and succinct. This is very much reflected by Jack
Nicholson and Tom Cruise.

On that note, Tom Cruise works very well in his role here. His knack to
appear arrogant and cocky very much fits his character. There is a fair
amount of profanity and some violence and alcohol, but we are talking the
military--Navy and Marines at that: it's to be expected.
This movie does not rely on gratuitous violence or sex to make it worth
watching; it relies on making the audience feel good about old-fashioned
values like honor, patriotism, and truth.