MURDER BY NUMBERS
US, 2002, 120 minutes, Colour.
Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Agnes Bruckner, Chris Penn, R.D. Call, Ben Chaplin.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder.
Murder By Numbers is an entertaining crime thriller. It is reminiscent of the story of the Leopold- Loeb murders of the 1920s, dramatised in Hitchcock’s Rope as well as Compulsion and Tom Kalin’s Swoon.
Here, two high school students plan the perfect murder. However, they become entangled with an experienced detective and her partner who pursue them in order to trap them.
The cast is very strong with Sandra Bullock as the detective and Ben Chaplin as her partner. It is the two young men who are significant. Michael Pitt was to appear in Bertolucci’s Dreamers as well as Gus Van Sant’s Last Days. Ryan Gosling, who had made a big impact in The Believer, was to appear in The Notebook, Fracture and to win an Oscar nomination for Half Nelson.
The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder who began his film career in France in the 1970s. He made a number of films in Hollywood including Barfly, Single White Female, Before and After. He produced Our Lady of the Assassins in Colombia and then made the excellent documentary about Jacques Verges, the lawyer who defended Klaus Barbie amongst other accused, Terror’s Advocate (2007).
1. Police investigation? Theories of crime and practice of crime? Personal agenda of police and investigators? The interconnection of all?
2. California locations, the coast, the old mansion on the cliff, the school, police precincts, the houseboat? An authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The title, the reference to the plan for the murder? The theory, the philosophical basis? Justin and his theories? Richard and his self-centredness and practice? Cassie and Sam and the investigation? Clues being laid out, being followed, the solving of the mystery?
4. The opening: the two young men, the suicide pact, the flashback story, coming to the end and their not killing themselves, the confrontation?
5. Justin, his assignment in class, the nature of crime, the nature of freedom? The loner? Richard and his being asleep, asking questions? The response of the teacher? The response of the students to Justin and his isolation? The irony of his friendship with Richard, their going to the old building, the plans, the theories? Their discussions? Justin theoretical, Richard pragmatic? The killing of the woman - and the audience not seeing it until the end? The role of Richard, the role of Justin?
6. The introduction to Cassie, the police not wanting to work with her, toughness, wisecracks, self-protection? Partnership with Sam? Coming on the scene, taking charge, getting the clues, ordering Sam about? Meeting with him, her sexual aggressiveness? His being bewildered, staying with her, her telling him to leave? The gradual revelation of her background, her telling Sam the story, at school, the pole-vaulting champion, married at sixteen, physical abuse, the confrontation, his drinking? His attacking her with the knife, dumping her body? Her being alive and surviving? Her coping by becoming a policewoman? This affecting her life, her relationships (and Richard telling her this)? Her memories, the flashbacks? Identifying with the victim instead of the detection of the killer? Refusing to go to a psychologist? Her gradual coming to terms with the issue, the pursuit of the case? The request that she go to her husband's parole board meeting?
7. Sam, effective policeman, partner with Cassie, not understanding her, the collaboration, the sexual encounter, the night? Her pushing him away, alienation? His not supporting her theories, his apology, her anger with him in the houseboat, his trying to apologise? His being put in charge of the case, allowing Cassie to pursue it? The evidence, collaborating with her to pursue the two young men, his presence in the classroom, intimidating Richard and Justin, interviewing Lisa?
8. Justin and his background, separated parents, his mother? His study, going to eat alone, the restaurant, the DNA information about the food and the vomit? Richard and his wealthy father, presumption, the police intimidated by his father, calling his lawyer?
9. The gradual revelation of the crime, the random abduction of the woman, following her home, hiding in the house, the attack with the hammer, taking her to her own cellar, the fact that Justin strangled her, wanting to prove himself to Richard? Their dumping the body, the footprints, the timer on the water of the lawn, the false time on the clock? Their covering all their tracks, Justin and his theorising about the clues, and the collage with Sam and Cassie following exactly as Justin predicted? Giving themselves away by their attitude, Cassie and her following them, the solving of the crime?
10. The interviews, the psychology of Sam with Richard, of Cassie with Justin? Getting them to talk, playing on their fears, their vanities? Richard's father sending the lawyer, their getting out? Cassie and her pursuit of Justin, going to their homes, the DA and the police chief agreeing? The hiding, Justin going to see Lisa, the effect of his relationship with her, Richard and his taunts, showing the video? Cassie telling Justin there was a video? The two and the suicide pact, Richard not having any bullets? The possibility of Justin killing him? Cassie entering, the fight, the clash with Richard, over the cliff, her self-assertion that she should have had with her husband? Hanging, Justin saving her? The mark of the strangling, her realising the truth, getting Justin to admit it? Take responsibility for his future?
11. The background of the school, the teachers, the classes? The police, the chief and the pressure, the ambitious DA? The other police and their attitudes towards Cassie?
12. A portrait of a crime, investigation, psychological understanding of the pressures on the police?
