[Friday-4] Changeling

I watched Changeling, not because of Angelina Jolie, at least not the main reason, I should say. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this period film is based on true events, the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders circa 1928-1930.

Believe me, you will leave the cinema with bewilderment after watching this 141-minute film. Why? Because you will shudder at what mankind has done and is still capable of doing.

Forget about Lara Croft or Mrs Smith, of which you saw a tough, wild, and sexy Angelina Jolie. In Changeling, Angelina Jolie is Christine Collins, supposedly a weakling, as women were known as emotional troublemakers and weaklings in those years in LA. Amidst corruption, intimidation, and all sorts of darkness practiced by LAPD at that time, Collins fought back with some others who stood firm with her claims. She fought with intense motherly love, integrity, silent courage, and occasional outbursts of mixed emotions. I'm amazed with Jolie's performance in this movie, awesome!

This film did not emphasize on the details of the murders. Only selected events were portrayed to strengthen the film. It did not focus on the life and conduct of the monstrous murderer, Gordon Stewart Northcott as well and that's a good point. Clint Eastwood knows how to keep the major plots intact without emphasizing on too many sub-plots that may drag the film into meaningless portrayal of historical events.

141 minutes passed by in a twinkle of an eye, kudos to the excellent and deep performance from the entire casting, including the child actors.

I did some research and found this. Gordon Stewart Northcott became a demonic murderer because he was sexually abused since he was a kid. The fact that he was born of incest (his father is actually his grandfather), I should say, was the major cause of his disturbed behaviors.

Now, who should take the blame? Nobody. The human race has been corrupted since the Adamic age. Till the Lord comes back, the human race will continue to deteriorate. So does the Bible says, "...crooked and perverted generation..."

*Shudders*