25th Hour

Released 2002
Stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox
Directed by Spike Lee

25th Hour is a mournful film that follows Monty (Edward Norton) through his final day before he goes to prison for some serious drug trafficking. Spike Lee may have kept the novel's title because the movie feels like it's 25 hours at times, but that's because it's not plot-driven. It's a film about Monty's regrets and fears, and it's all about tone. Monty's a smart, likeable guy who took the fast route because he and his dad needed money, but he liked the money too much to quit. What I liked most about the film was how we sympathize with Monty to some degree, but it's not a pity party. One of my pet peeves with movies is how they frequently expect us to empathize and even root for criminals to succeed. I can only do that with comedies or farcical thrillers, but this movie even has his best friend (Barry Pepper) give a speech about how Monty deserves his punishment because of the misery he was peddling. It laments the Rockefeller drug laws, however, and thinks he should get less than 7 years, but he had over a kilo of heroin or cocaine. I think 7 years is a rather light sentence for that level of dealer, but I was able to sympathize with Monty on a human level. His greatest fears of what would happen to a pretty boy like himself in a maximum security prison were more than I felt he deserved, but there are many other criminals who do deserve such horrific treatment.

There are a couple of memorable moments in the movie. One is when they look down on Ground Zero, and the other is when Monty rages on New York City's ethnic groups. It's a moment when a young man full of rage toward himself lashes out at everyone else, but he does it in a manner that's so politically incorrect you have to wonder how the studio allowed it in the film. Having it in the novel is one thing, but any politically incorrect moment in a movie can draw endless harassment via pickets and boycotts. I love the fact that it's in the movie, however, because there are times when we Americans feel that way. On bad days we may feel the influx of immigrants who refuse to assimilate to our culture is poisoning our country, but on the other hand most of us know our immigration history is one of the reasons our country is so great. The film ends with a dream (yes, it's a dream) about Monty running from his sentence, and it contains several of the exact same shots that were part of his tirade but in a completely different tone. Instead of being undercut by an angry torrent of words, they're shown with music in a dreamy patriotic moment that's hopeful and positive. Just before Monty's nightmare comes true, he lives one last American dream.

Summary by Bill Alward, June 17, 2003