MURDER OR MERCY

US, 1974, 74 minutes, Colour.
Melvyn Douglas, Bradford Dillman, Denver Pyle, Mildred Dunnock, David Birney, Don Porter, Robert Webber, Kent Smith. Directed by Harvey Hart.

Murder or Mercy is an interesting and arresting telemovie. Its subject is euthanasia. The film was written by Douglas Day Stewart who was to write such films as The Blue Lagoon and An Officer and a Gentleman as well as write and direct Thief of Hearts. They tended to be romanticised films. This one is much more realistic. It is well served by its cast: Melvyn Douglas giving dignity and credibility to the central character, the doctor who makes the decision to end his wife's life. Mildred Dunnock is the wife. Bradford Dillman is good as a lawyer and Denver Pyle, noted more for his action roles, is a crusty old lawyer, his father. The film is brief in its running time but raises many issues and dramatises them very well.

1. The impact of the telemovie? For the home audience? For interruption by commercials, a serious topic and moral consciousness-raising at the home audience level?

2. The American atmosphere of the film? For American audiences? For universal audiences? The contemporary scene of hospitals, prison, courts?

3. The credibility of the plot, the situations, characters? Exploration of moral stances, principles, emotional response? Legal issues? Judicial decisions?

4. Audience attitudes towards euthanasia, to mercy killing? The role of the patient in determining his or her own life and death? Moral obligations? The patient and choices? ordinary and extraordinary means for the preserving of life? Medical technology and its developments, impositions on human dignity? The responsibility of the person who makes the decision to terminate a life?

5. Themes of the quality of life, of existence, human dignity? The prolonging of life, the nature of death, the heart and the brain ceasing to function? Medical definitions of death? Legal definitions of death?

6. The screenplay and the points of view? An intelligent presentation of the issues? Eliciting emotional response? The situation of the patient and her not wanting to live? Her request? Her will? The doctor with his knowledge of the medical and technological situation? Reverence for life? The hospitals and the wards? The means to keep a person alive, using them or not? The criticism of a mercy killer playing God? The comment on illnesses e.g. strokes as signs from God that a life is coming to an end?

7. Lois and Paul, the initial sketch of their relationship, their mutual love, the book and the inscription? The interview with the doctor? The news about the terminal illness? Lois going to hospital, her strokes. her pain. the pact and her husband to kill her?

8. Paul as a doctor, his love for his wife, his having lectured on medicine and ethics? His grief at his wife's suffering? Hesitation? The pact between husband and wife? His turning off the machine? His withdrawing the means for her life? His comment about killing his wife? The arrest. his not wanting to defend himself, not wanting a lawyer? The end of his life with the death of his wife? Prison and his hunger strike? Sam's visit and questions? Amos and his friendship? The legal examination of the situation, especially about the nature of the will? The discussions about the plea, the discussion about diminished responsibility? Paul out on bail, his own worry, his decision to take the pills and end his life? his last minute change of mind and heart, winning Amos? The use of this last moment change in evidence against him? His fighting for his life? The experience of the trial, his disagreement with the diminished responsibility plea? His speech about belief in God, his own principles, ordinary means for preserving life? His expertise and experience?

9. Sam and the law, his relationship with his father and tricking him into interest in the case, discussing the parallels between Amos and Paul? Amos and his retirement, vegetating? Interest in the case, the plea, agreeing with Paul? Their conduct of the case? Sam's use of diminished responsibility? The attempted suicide and their coming to the rescue? The interview with medical personnel? With Dr. Peterson and his efforts to save life ~ at what cost? Amos and his speech? The plea for the right to die with dignity? The law to acknowledge this?

10. The picture of the doctors: Dr. Peterson and his admiration for Paul, his taking Sam on the tour of the hospital, his moral stance about the termination of life? The contrast with Dr. Stoneman and his belief in developments of technology, his rigorous pursuit of the saving of life (what kind of life)? The nurse and her evidence? Experts pro and con? The film's audi6nce having to make up their minds from the evidence and the speeches?

11. Ballan and his interest in the case, the conduct of the case, the clash with the Champions? His lines of interrogation and his attitude towards Paul's attempted suicide?

12. The role of the judge, listening to the evidence, to the decisions and the administration of the trial? The jury, their deliberations, their verdict? The discrepancies in law from American state to state?

13. The use of the telemovie to portray varying points of view, dramatise these, offer audience reflections on the quality of life?