"The Hangman: Shepherds and Butchers" is a South African film based on true events of the late 1980s. The film is primarily a courtroom drama that touches on capital punishment, moral responsibility, and the mercurial nature of the judicial process.
The narrative introduces us to a troubled young man on trial for the murder of seven athletes, whom he shot in cold blood as they were driving in a minivan. The defendant, Leon Labuschagne, has assigned to him a defense attorney, who slowly pieces together the background of the young man while working as in a prison. Apparently, the defendant was traumatized by having to assist in executions by hanging of over 150 inmates.
The case emotional defense presented by Mr. Webber is countered by an icily cold prosecutor, Miss Murray, who argue for the death penalty. The film takes great pains to point out the differences between the two attorneys. Miss Murray seems remarkably detached from her work, calling to mind the nonchalant manner in which the inmates were subjected to gruesome hangings, sometimes lasting as long as fifteen minutes prior to expiration.
The presiding judge appeared to have made up his mind early in the trial without hearing all of the evidence. It is clear that on the panel of three judges, the presiding judge was a dissenter in the split vote.
This provocative film raises ethical issues on many legal fronts. In the closing credits, we learn that with the presidency of Nelson Mandela, there were much-needed reforms in South African jurisprudence.
The narrative introduces us to a troubled young man on trial for the murder of seven athletes, whom he shot in cold blood as they were driving in a minivan. The defendant, Leon Labuschagne, has assigned to him a defense attorney, who slowly pieces together the background of the young man while working as in a prison. Apparently, the defendant was traumatized by having to assist in executions by hanging of over 150 inmates.
The case emotional defense presented by Mr. Webber is countered by an icily cold prosecutor, Miss Murray, who argue for the death penalty. The film takes great pains to point out the differences between the two attorneys. Miss Murray seems remarkably detached from her work, calling to mind the nonchalant manner in which the inmates were subjected to gruesome hangings, sometimes lasting as long as fifteen minutes prior to expiration.
The presiding judge appeared to have made up his mind early in the trial without hearing all of the evidence. It is clear that on the panel of three judges, the presiding judge was a dissenter in the split vote.
This provocative film raises ethical issues on many legal fronts. In the closing credits, we learn that with the presidency of Nelson Mandela, there were much-needed reforms in South African jurisprudence.