A good marine abides by the following code
Unit
Corps
God and
Country
For this code to be at its effective best, it must be governed by truth and justice. What happens when truth and justice fail to be active participants of this code? One arrogant power decides to play God and its upto a Few Good Men to set things right.
The murder of a young Private First Class named
William Santiago, who was killed while stationed at the Marine Corps base at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forms the baseline of this story.
The Marine Corps base at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba is under the command of Colonel Jessup(Jack Nicholson). Jessup is a single minded determined soldier, with a distorted sense of duty. For him there are no two ways. There is either no way or his way. He is a decorated war veteran, however he is also supremely arrogant and high-handed. He expects the marines under him, to behave like soldiers, which according him then means, behave as someone who is tougher than tough and never ever questions authority. Under his command there is no place for a weak marine.
Unfortunately Santiago is a weak marine.
Santiago is a marine who cant stand the opressive command of Colonel Jessup. He wants to be transfered out of the base. He wants so desperately to get out of there that he stoops to blackmail. He threatens to reveal the occurence of an illegal fence shooting which claimed a life.
Jessup pretends to give in and assures Santiago he is going to be transfered out of the base the next morning.
Couple of hours later Santiago is dead.
Reason - The Code Red
What is the Code Red?
Code Red is a form a disciplinnary action taken against wilful or disobedient marines, which borders on the line of torture. More importantly Code Red is illegal.
Two marines were ordered that september to give Santiago the code red.
The two marines get charged with murder of Santiago.
The case draws the attention of D.C. Galloway(Demi Moore). Taking into consideration the impeccable
service records of the two Marines charged with the crime, ahe convinces her
superiors that a thorough investigation is warranted in this case, though
there are those in high places who would rather see this one plea bargained
and put to rest. Galloway is convinced that Santiago died that night because of the’code red’.
She, though an efficient lawyer, lacks enough of courtroom experience to plead the case. So Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee(Tom Cruise), the son of a legendary lawyer, is assigned to
the case, along with Lieutenant Sam Weinberg(Kevin Pollak), with Galloway,
as ranking officer, to assist.
Winberg introduces Kaffee to Galloway thus:
Weinberg: Cmdr.
Galloway, Lt. Kaffee is considered to be the best litigator in our office. He
successfully plea bargained 44 cases in 9 months.
Kaffee: One
more and I get a set of steak knives
Kaffee just wants to get over with the case and have one more case added under his belt. He is nether as passionat as Galloway about the case nor has he any inclination to let the case drag on forever in the pursuit of misconceptualized justice. But Galloway persists and as one mystery unravels after another, Kaffee finds himself more and more put off by the arrogant and cold-hearted Jessup. When he questions Galloway why she wants to so desperately help the two marines, she replies
`Because they stand on a wall, and they say ‘nothing is going to
hurt you tonight,
not on my watch’
As the stroy progresses, it unveils layer after layer the inhuman existence of Jessup. Kaffee gets determined with each passing day to Put Jessup behind the bars. He gets more and more determined to unmask Jessup for the murderer he really is.
When put on the witness stand, and provoked into a verbal confession Jessup says:
You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you
don’t talk about at parties you want me on that wall, you
need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty.
We use then as the backbone of a life trying to defend something.
You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the
inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps
under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions
the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just
said "thank you, " and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest
that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I
don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
When Jessup is finally taken in as a prisoner, he cant believe that he a decorated hero of the past is being taken into custody. He gets mad at Kaffeee
Jessup: You fuckin’ people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That’s all you did. You put people’s lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.Kaffee: Don’t call me son. I’m a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you’re under arrest, you son of a bit*h.
Sweet Victory!