Download This PaperThe Silent Defendant: Some Thoughts on Law and Film
Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 61, 61-79 (2013).
10 Pages Posted: 25 Nov 2014
Date Written: November 2014
Abstract
The French film I've Loved You for So Long (2008) raises intriguing questions about the tension between silence and speech. It centers on an accused woman who has chosen to give no explanation in words about the motives for her criminal act. Her silence worse punishment and renders it harder to rebuild her life after her release from prison. This essay proposes seeing this silence as a critique of law. It aims to challenge our understanding regarding the different kinds of silence before the law and assess the practical consequences arising from the decision of legal subjects to remain silent.
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