Memoirs of a murderer

The movie does everything a thriller has to do. It is

structured to provide necessary tension, catching the viewers’

wish to know, the personal drama that is mixed into the narrative.

For the greater part of the story, Memoirs of a murderer

alarms the enjoyment beyond the law as well as the enjoyment the

media and the public finds in the enjoyment beyond the law. The

story shows the determined collective interest of the public into

those people who went beyond the law to enjoy themselves. A

collective interest that, for the victims, creates a repeating

confrontation with the impact of the trauma, but also enables them,

as Sonezaki covers himself with the image of the murderer, to turn

their anger, an anger that could not be oriented for twenty-two

years. Makimura and Sonezaki have done an excellent plan despite

the expiration of the stature of limitations. The consequences of

Sonezaki’s action affect the whole of society, since the crimes

were never solved, and the man retains a rather offensive attitude,

describing his crimes in proud detail, and acting as star. The

media are all over the case, while the families of the victims are

angry with him. Policeman Makimura, whose sister is considered a

victim, despite the fact the her body was never found, and whose

partner was killed by the man, was the only man ever to come close
to catching the culprit, even managing to wound him with a bullet

in his shoulder. As the events disclose in scandalous speed and

the theories dissolve one after the other, major journalist and TV

presenter Toshio Sendo becomes a central figure in the presentation

of the case. The last part of the movie makes me realized that we

really can’t trust everyone these days. Everyone has behind the

screen role in life, covered with deceitful skin and outer

interrogative identity. It is also an important note to consider

how one’s life from the past would affect tremendously the present.

Just like what had happened to Sendo, he transforms into killer

because his friend was killed the way Sendo had done to kill five

innocent people.

Social problems are visible and crime and brutality

constitute recurrent motifs in the movie. These actions are still

present in our society today. People have different views on how

to solve a puzzle, different standpoints and experiences. We might

not control how an individual thinks and acts, we can contribute

on how we can affect one’s lives by thoroughly knowing and doing

the right things with good intentions and purposes. According to

Durkheim, crime is normal. Although, true purpose of Law in the

movie didn’t take part, the whole drive of law and justice system

is to dramatize evil to act as a warning to the law-abiding

citizens.