The Interview (1998)

Watched ‘The Interview’ (1998) on Netflix.

An Australian film starring Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, Aaron Jeffery.

A film that demonstrates how law can mean travesty of justice, how law can be the antithesis of justice, and how law can be a hurdle in the way to justice.

Edward Fleming (Hugo Weaving) is roughed up by two cops Steele and Prior, who break into his house and dragged to a police interrogation room.

They question him about a missing car. Fleming is scared, he pleads innocent and begs them give him food. They don’t, and Prior intimidates and threatens him while Steele acts good cop. 

As the interrogation proceeds, Steele mentions that the owner of the car is missing, in response to which, Fleming provocatively suggests the person may have been murdered.

He asks for a lawyer. The lawyer arrives and asks him to maintain silence, to say nothing.

But after the lawyer leaves, his confidence grows. When questioned by the cops, he demands to be given food. 

They put an appetizing spread of food on his table and he starts talking. He confesses to have hitchhiked and then, after being picked up, he says they drove to a desolate place and he brutally murdered the guy. He further says, he killed 5-6 other in a similar fashion and dumped their bodies someplace where they could not be found.

Just when Steele thinks he’s got the man, recordings of the confessions and all, he summoned by his superior Jackson who tells Steele his interrogation was video recorded since it began and due to threats and intimidation used during the questioning, the proceeding in the room are inadmissible in court.

Fleming tells Jackson his entire confession was a lie. He wanted food and gave the police what they wanted to hear so they would stop harassing him.

Steele knows Fleming is a criminal but fails in persuading Jackson to give him a chance.

As Steele and Prior look on, Fleming walks away with a mocking grin on his face.

Steele hands the recordings of the confession to a media person, not caring about the consequences, knowing he would be fired anyway.

Hudson, the officer in charge of the ethics committee talks to Steele one on one. Steele accuses him of personal grudge. Hudson turns the recorder off and insults Steele, abuses him and tells him he make sure they will get him.

Unknown to Hudson, Steele records Hudson’s voice, planning to use it to defend himself.

The movie ends with Fleming hitchhiking somewhere.

Lines noted…

‘We're all what our parents make us, Mr. Fleming’

‘There was this lean-to in the field...’

Lean-to - a shack or shed supported at one side by trees or posts and having an inclined roof, a roof of a single pitch with the higher end abutting a wall or larger building

‘The toe cutters. They are here’

Toe-cutters - The term toe cutter is Australian slang for a person who lives by torturing other criminals, then robbing them. As the name implies the torture usually involves painful removal of the digits or in some cases the complete foot

‘The shadowers are sitting outside. 2 crew of 4 round the clock’

Shadower - a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements, a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people

‘You were careless, slipshod’

‘Typical cowboy response’

#westerncinema