ONE KILL

US, 2000, 95 minutes, Colour.
Anne Heche, Eric Stoltz, Sam Shepherd.
Directed by Chris Menaul.

One Kill is situated in the American Marine Corps. It highlights the role of a woman officer, fifteen years of service, who is skilled in leadership and is to be promoted. However, she clashes with a visiting ex-Vietnam veteran who supervises training and gives lectures. He also approaches her and she begins an affair with him.

The film, however, shows the killing at the beginning of the film and supplies the details of the story in flashback, gradually building up the encounter between the two officers, the affair, the clashes, his mental instability, the shooting. Anne Heche is effective as the marine, Sam Shepherd is the Vietnam veteran, Eric Stoltz is the defending counsel.

The film is very strong in its portrait of an institution doing all in its power for cover-up, humiliating the target of their suspicions, destroying documents, putting moral pressure on people not to give testimony. While there is nothing particularly new in the screenplay, especially with the court case and the acquittal, the film is served well by its performances as well as the theme of cover-up.

1. The film as a crime thriller, courtroom drama, investigation? Familiar material? Differences?

2. The film set on the marine base, the details of the base, officers, car pool, homes? The courtroom? Manoeuvres? Musical score?

3. The title and its reference to the killing of Major Gray?

4. The opening, the audience seeing the shooting? The structure of the film and the investigation into Mary Jane, the flashbacks and the gradual build-up of the details of the relationship leading to the shooting? The dramatic effect of the audience not knowing the full story but its gradually being revealed?

5. Mary Jane O'Malley, fifteen years in the service, her efficiency, the support of her men, especially in the manoeuvre? Her relationship with Doran and his reliance on her? Gray coming to the base, his disdain of her as a woman, his taunting her about being in action? The manoeuvre and her success? His approach to her, the suggestion of an affair? Her decision and the beginning of the affair? The question of marine law, moral issues? His not telling her that he was married? The course of the affair, the arrival of his wife to prepare the retirement party, Mary Jane's reaction on the firing field? His anger, shooting? The investigation and its not continuing, her not pressing charges? The breaking of the affair, his taking the children to the museum, giving them the gift of the bullets? Her angry reaction? Her relationship with her former husband, his support, his mother looking after the children? The build-up to the evening, her phone call to tell him not to come near the children? His breaking into the apartment, the attack, with disguise on, her shooting him, twice, in the back, the knife?

6. Major Gray, his experience in Vietnam, friendship with Doran? His work on the base, coming up to retirement? His attacks on Mary Jane, suggestion of the affair, its importance to him, his age, feeling tenderness? Her wariness, the breaking off, his aggression, the attack? His death?

7. Mary Jane, the consequences of the arrest, her keeping silent, her reputation, her children? In the prison? Legal discussions? The court hearing, her keeping silent, the testimony? Her own version of what happened? The cross-examination, the consequences, the truth emerging, her vindication? Her reputation as regards the affair, her family, her children, her husband?

8. The legal defence, sympathy towards Mary Jane, exasperation, serving her innocence, the vindication?

9. The officials in the army, their antagonism towards Mary Jane, as an officer, as a woman? The hoped-for decisions? Manipulation? Their being defeated?

10. A portrait of an institution, cover-ups, internal antagonisms, pressures on reputation?