I, THE JURY

US, 1982, 109 minutes, Colour.
Armand Assante, Barbara Carrera, Paul Sorvino, Alan King.
Directed by Richard T. Heffron

I, The Jury follows a trend of the late '70s and early '80s in remaking films of the '50s. Mickey Spillane made an impact in the '50s with his violent private eye thrillers - in the Raymond Chandler- Dashiell Hammett tradition but with, it seemed then, excessive sex and violence. There were film versions in the '50s of The Long Wait with Anthony Quinn, Robert Aldridge's Kiss Me Deadly with Ralph Meeker and I, The Jury with Biff Elliott. Mickey Spillane himself appeared as his detective Mike Hammer in the 1963 The Girl Hunters. One might wonder why Mike Hammer should make his reappearance in the early '80s. One of the reasons could be that he is seen as the equivalent of the comic strip heroes who were making their reappearance from Superman to Popeye. In fact, Spillane's novels in retrospect seem like pulp comics rather than novels. This element is kept in the dramatisation of the present film.

However, the screenplay is by Larry Cohen, who wrote such interesting films as God Told Me To, It's Alive, and The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover. Cohen has an ability to deal with the traditional genres in an imaginative way as well as having an interest in horror and politics. I, The Jury, besides being an ordinary private eye melodrama, soon becomes a Robert Ludlum-like exploration of a C.I.A. cover-up. This means that the film, while questionable in many aspects, is actually highly entertaining.

Armand Assante is perhaps too glum as the hero. Barbara Carrera is the suave evil leading lady. There is a strong supporting cast, excellent special effects and indeed the film is an interesting of Americana - surface violence and aiming for respectability with corruption underneath. While plenty meets the eye in I, The Jury, there is much more thematically below the surface. Cohen was taken off the direction after a week and the film was completed by Richard Heffron.

1. The impact of Mickey Spillane's novels in the '50s? In later decades? The film versions of the '50s? The decision to remake? Adaptation to the '80s? Trends - private eye, corruption, cover-ups and exposure, exploitation, sex and violence, film-making? A successful adaptation from the '50s to the '80s?

2. The film as a piece of Americana? The tradition of the private eye thriller? The tough, detached, seemingly amoral hero on the side of right? The rugged individualism? The sleazy lifestyle? The macho image? Masculine strength, adoring females? The purpose of the private eye and his own voice-over commentary? Upholding the law, the maintaining of good over evil? Simple black and white issues? The changing style of how the law is administered rather than the change in attitude towards the law?

3. The United States and violence after the experience of the '50s, '60s and '70s? The background of the Vietnam war and Hammer's involvement in it? The wounded veterans and their police work? The mad Right and fascist military and their coups? Watergate and the cynicism towards politicians? Society and government? The standing up for the individual? The exploitation of sex and violence in wars and in politics? Conspiracies and the seeming powerlessness of the individual? Mike Hammer showing the powerful individual against the conspirators?

4. Larry Cohen's ability to blend the exploitive and the tough with the themes? The cars and the violent finale, along with the presentation of the sex clinic? The contrast with individuals and justice, society and truth?

5. Armand Assante's style as Hammer? The credits sequence and the emphasis on the macho hero? The initial explanations, his work, skills, name? Velda and her devotion to him? Relationship? Yearning for marriage? Velda being a female Mike Hammer? Her devotion to him, helping him, her almost getting killed? His protection of her? Pat and his friendship with Hammer? The police and their support, their being used by the C.I.A., Pat's betrayal of Hammer? The impact and mystery of Jack's death, the Vietnam background, the flashbacks? The setting up of the case, Hammer's examining the body, the room, the interview with Jack's widow - and leading to further violence and corruption?

6. The leads to Northridge: Charlotte and her coldness, her control, Hammer's second visit and her explanation of the sex clinic and the presentation of the clients in the therapy room? The twins upstairs - and their deaths? Charlotte and her relationship with the clinic, with Romero? The involvement with Charlotte? Sexual liaison? Their mutually using each other? Hammer's talk, discovery of the clinic as cover? The discovery of the truth and his final confrontation with Charlotte? The final kiss and his killing her - 'it was easy'?

7. The film as action packed: the initial murder, the visit to ice and the car chase down the mountainside, the explosions, the taxi and the dragging of Kalecki's assistant? The visit to the film set and the murder with the special effects going off? Kendricks' murders and the truck chase? Going with Kalecki to Romero's fort and the explosions? Kalecki’s death? The stalking of Romero? The point behind the action and violence? The setting for American heroics?

8. The relationship between Hammer and Velda? The pleasant and easy-going relationship - the shave, missions, outings? Velda and Kendricks and the torture? Hammer's rescuing her? The other women and Hammer's relationships - Charlotte's use and abuse? The twins? Jack's wife and her advances?

9. The change of tone with the introduction of Romero and the C.I.A.? The political background, conspiracies, the use of arms, experimentation with drugs? Kalecki and gun-running? Kendricks and his mania and his being an instrument of death for Romero? Violence and technology?

10. Kalecki and his cheap style, gun-running, wealth, assistance, his lies to Hammer, his death?

11. The contrast with Pat Chambers and the pressures put on him, his using Hammer, the audio contact with his superiors? Betrayal and lack of self-respect? Saving his own job?

12. Audience response to the clinic, the sex therapy, Charlotte's control? The theory and the sessions? The ending and the lies? Charlotte personifying evil?

13. The girls at the clinic, the twins and their death, the girl killed by the Chinese at the restaurant?

14. Kendricks and his madness, cruelty, his mother, the torture of Velda, his death?

15. The violent ending and the assertion of the individual against corrupt society and government? The U.S. in the 1980s?