Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story

i am only 16 and always watch movies. My family gets dvds pretty much everyday so in my video shop i have literally seen nearly everyone. This one is different. It is a real & meaningful story leaving us thinking and learning more as the movie went by. For the people who live the life he grew up in, the meaning of the movie is something I'm sure they will think about. World Peace isn't going to happen overnight. We all know that. But to look at this mans awful life and know that if we keep on hating, we may lead the same life one day. if not us maybe our future children- thats scary. Stan Williams woke up his neighborhood to a life of crime and later did all he could to save them.. he is a hero and this movie touched my heart.

The topic of Stan Williams often incites heated and emotional debate. A movie about his life was therefore a perfect opportunity to inform both sides of the armchair debaters, showing why Tookie was put in prison and sketching the events leading to his self-claimed redemption. Tookie was a wretched man - he said so himself. The movie should have shown how wretched he was. It should have shown the violence he was exposed to when he was young, the murders he was convicted for, his violent behaviour in prison for many years before he had a change of heart. He also always claimed he was innocent of the crimes he was sentenced for, so there was an opportunity to film the murders with some doubt as to the perpetrator. It could really have built around the doubt, and played on the emotional conflict of carrying out the sentence or having mercy on a changed man. But the movie doesn't focus on the character change of Tookie. It never focuses on his violent nature, and the viewer is not taken on the journey of the evolving character. Instead, the film starts off with the nice Tookie Williams who has kind eyes and a nature that evokes sympathy. His former crimes are only eluded to, and he is depicted as an honest man seeking release from prison as a place he can't get used to and just doesn't belong. Jamie Foxx is a brilliant actor, but unfortunately does not portray the latent demon that was Tookie. Jamie is too nice-looking, and not nearly huge enough. If you are not familiar with the Tookie Williams story, this movie will seem to jump around a lot and will not make as much sense as it is supposed to. Those unfamiliar with the story will side immediately with Tookie and want him to be released from prison. As such, it is not an accurate portrayal, and it is not clear what the film was trying to create. The movie never really finds its rhythm and it is an unfortunate lost opportunity. The viewer should have a good idea of how bad Tookie was, and then be able to judge for himself the genuineness of the change, and only then start to question what Tookie's fate should have been. These questions did not need to be answered in the movie, but they should at least have been posed. Instead, the end result is a random and inelegant sympathetic sketch of Tookie's last days that ends on an imperfect cadence.

I have watched the movie Redemption Two times and, I must say that it really touched me. First and foremost I don't agree with the way that our legal system is set up to begin with. Everyone likes to see criminals locked up behind bars to serve the time that they are sentenced. That is all fine and well but, what about when their sentence is up and, it's time for them to released back into "real population"??? Jails do not fully help people become rehabilitated because once they leave their cell they are basically on their own. In most instances after being released they are assigned to a Parole Officer to whom they report to. This is not enough what is needed is a back up system merely a support group. We don't want them to live in our neighborhoods and most companies don't want to hire ex-con's so what is their next resort back into a life of crime that ends up making the door to the jail house revolving. As I have stated earlier after watching the movie I have gained an interest in convicts and, on the conditions of their life in prison and beyond. I would like to see improvements in how they are treated while serving out their sentences. Now most will disagree with what I propose but, even though the jail house is full of rapist, child molester's, murders, etc.,. they are still human beings first.

On December 13th, 2005, I read on the Brazilian newspapers that Stanley Tookie Williams III was executed by lethal injection after the denial of clemency from the Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tookie was the founder of a Los Angeles gang called Crips, and condemned for the murder of four persons. After almost seven years in the death row at San Quentin, he decided, with the support of a journalist, to write instructive books for children, being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and to the Nobel Prize for Literature on the next year.

This touching story is very well directed and has another awesome performance of Jammie Fox, probably one of the best American actors in this moment. However, it is very difficult to give an opinion about the polemic and controversial situation of Stanley Williams only based on this movie and a few recent readings. First, I do not know how manipulative this film might be, since it shows only a regenerated and regretted man trying to help children to not follow his path, but never his crimes or how cruel he was while living outside jail. But anyway it is an excellent movie to make the viewer think about some issues. Lets admit that Stan Williams had really regenerated, therefore, accomplishing with the major objective of the penal system. In this situation, his death proves the complete failure of this system, destroying a well-succeeded case of human recovery of a criminal and giving the worst example to the other prisoners. In the other side, there are the relatives and friends of his victims: all of this situation, giving the chance of a murderer writing books for children, would be very offensive for them. I really liked this very awarded and nominated movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Redenção" ("Redemption")

This movie was brilliantly directed and very moving. Before watching this movie, I never knew the true story behind the creation of the gangs in California. My outlook on gangs was vague but very harsh. This film opened me up to a whole new world of insight on gangs and the man himself Stan "Tookie" Williams. This film showed me that with a positive influence anything is possible. This film should be watched by not only want to be gang members but children of all creeds and nationality. My kids watched this movie and were very moved by what they saw also. This movie gets two thumbs up for a well directed, well acted, well portrayed story of Mr. Williams. If i were offered the opportunity to meet him it would be an honor for not only myself, but my kids as well.