Lessons from “Absence of Malice”

Absence of Malice is a 1981 film starring Paul Newman and Sally Field.  It is a great film that I just finished watching for the umpteenth time and I was struck by how timeless it is.  The themes illustrated by the movie remain very relevant in today’s world and I urge anyone out there reading this piece to watch it at their earliest opportunity.  Here is some information about the film https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/absence_of_malice.  I will also note that the movie is currently free on the Roku streaming channel. 

Newman and Field each have an impressive catalog in the entertainment business.  Both are accomplished in their vocation.  Unlike Newman, Field has chosen to be somewhat of a political activist over the years in causes that typically seem to bend left.  Newman passed away in 2008 and seemed to keep a healthy arms-length distance from political activities.  Both of them have been extremely generous with their time, celebrity, and resources in the support of various and worthy causes.  Although this film may not have been their greatest piece of work, it is nonetheless a great story and well produced.  Here are some of the themes from the movie that now seem to have borne some prescience.

It is likely appropriate that I interject a note here about the film; it is about the irresponsible and careless abuse of power.  However, my take on the movie is that it is a great movie that just happens to be about the abuse of power.  The primary purpose of the movie was not to send a political or social message; it was made to entertain.  One might argue that it presents only one side of the abuse issue; but that is really beside the point.  The movie was not produced as a statement on abuse of power.  It had no obligation to present the viewer with both the abuse of the subject power and the redeeming qualities of the subject power.  It was created to entertain.  It’s applicability to events occurring in today’s society is simply a testimony to how well the producers of the project were in tune with our nation and its people. 

Laws will only be as just and equitable as the people who enforce them.  And no matter how wisely our Congress and Executive Branch author the laws and regulations that dictate much of our lives, there will always be individuals who occupy just the right position in the chain of execution who are willing and able to subvert, abuse, and manipulate those rules for personal gain.  As much as we might try, we cannot incorporate sufficient law to eliminate the risks inherent in living a life with dignity and freedom.  Those risks are the price we pay for our liberty.  We must be ever vigilant when government or entities are empowered with abilities to control and monitor our lives…based on the presumption of pure intent by those in power.  Enforcers will not always be pure; to believe otherwise is the height of naiveté.   Accountability must be provided for; transparency must be in place; and the faith and trust of American citizens must be constantly earned. 

In order for the citizens of America to have a full and informed opinion of their government, it is absolutely necessary that we have a vibrant and unfettered Fourth Estate.  The media serves a unique position in our country and has maintained that role in a pretty effective fashion throughout history.  Like our population, the media have become polarized in their content, bias, and opinion.  More importantly and to the point, they have allowed the line between hard news and opinion to be blurred and they routinely juxtaposition these two items to further their own agendas.  The result is that the public confidence in the media is at the lowest level I have witnessed in my lifetime of sixty-six years.  Even while their integrity swoons, the power of the press remains substantial.  Many times, the first version of any event is the one that is most pervasive/persuasive and sets the tone for any debate that comes later.  That is why it is so very critical for news stories to be driven by the facts and not by opinion.  If the initial reporting is a product of personal beliefs, then the public opinions that flow from it will be based on a skewed version of reality and the true facts that lie at the heart of the matter will be lost or diminished.   There is a common phrase that Voltaire first wrote, but Spiderman’s Uncle Ben co-opted at a later date…with great power comes great responsibility.  The Fourth Estate has great power.  Through their massive abdication of integrity, balance, and professionalism, they are no longer even acknowledging, much less exercising, the need for great responsibility. 

Evil men can do great harm to many people.  Most of the time that harm comes with evil intent.  Unfortunately, great harm can also come to many people with an absence of evil intent.  Carelessness, insensitivity, unawareness, exuberant and excessive personal conviction, and pure arrogance many times lie at the heart of personal harm without evil intent.  The practical results are the same with or without intent and the damage is equivalent.  Many times, actions are initiated with a clear purpose and the intended outcome is obliterated by the law of unintended consequences.  In 1808, Sir Walter Scott famously wrote “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”.  If an effort begins with a less than noble motive, the resulting and damaging unintended consequences become a source of regret and liability.  If an effort is initially driven by noble concerns, then developments that may go south are unsavory…but can be accepted as part of the process.  When we choose people to represent us in government, we need to select those who can be open-minded, compassionate, principled, and willing to subvert their own beliefs and opinions to those of the electors.  The combination of ideologues, excessive authority, and an unrealistic certitude of correctness is a deadly brew in a public servant.

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While continuing to apply common sense, we should all trust in the decency of people until proven otherwise.  It appears that many of the common sense principles that some of us grew up with have been turned on their heads lately.  Chief amongst them is the bizarre application of having to prove one’s innocence rather than the requirement to compile sufficient evidence to overcome that presumption.  There are far too many investigations these days based not on a specific crime, but on the pursuit of a specific crime.  Creating an environment for bad people to do bad things (i.e. entrapment) has always left me somewhat chilled.  Acknowledging the myriad complexities in our federal justice system, I still contend that the best course of action is to deal with the crimes that are committed willfully rather than enticing the criminals into bad acts to accommodate apprehension. 

My goodness…how movie making has changed in the last few decades.  As I watched this film, I wondered how it would be different if it were produced today rather than in 1981.  Although the messages delivered by the film remain relevant (oh…so…relevant), the method of delivering those messages would likely be significantly different.  There would, of course, be the obligatory sprinkling of profanities throughout the script.  The romantic episode would have far less distance to the bed and much more skin once we got there.  Of course, there would have been at least one or two fairly violent confrontational scenes with the required spillage of blood.  And instead of respecting the viewer’s intelligence and ability to decipher subtleties, the points about female independence, male chauvinism, and old school man/woman relationships would be placed right up in your face.  As much as they might like to, it is difficult to imagine how they could work in a superhero and a car chase scene.

Enjoy the flick.  It is amazing how some things never change and some lessons are never learned.