187: code meurtre

I am an ex-school teacher and while the school I taught in was NOT as rough as the ones you see in the film, the movie does highlight the biggest problem I see in public schools today. The bad kids, essentially, run things and there's no accountability. As is often the case, teachers are never told about students' criminal records I had students who were convicted sex offenders and I was never informed of this and only found out later. A friend of mine taught a student who paralyzed a previous teacher by stabbing her...and the teachers were never notified! I understand about the right to privacy, but this is insane...especially since these kids pose a serious risk to others. I mention all this because I have my own biases about this film...your reaction might be different.

When the story begins, Mr. Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is working as a substitute in New York City. One of his students has a record of stabbing folks...and because Garfield wasn't prepared AND the kid was not appropriate for this school, tragedy strikes. Garfield is stabbed many times from behind by this sociopath...and it's shocking he didn't die. And, there was no warning.

Fifteen months have passed. While it's not surprising Garfield moved to another part of the country, he didn't pick well as now instead of the roughest and out of control New York City schools, he's now substitute teaching in one of the tougher inner city schools in Los Angeles. Now instead of a few budding criminals in his classes, the classes are filled with punk gang members who seem to have nothing to lose if they attack him or anyone else. So what's next? Well, it won't be good! See the film and find out for yourself.

While I generally liked the film, the ending is ROUGH. I didn't love it though I did understand it....and I can only assume most won't love the ending as well. It's a real downer. Had the ending been a bit less awful, I am sure I could have scored this one an 8 or even 9.

I saw this film a bunch of times years ago, back when I bought it. I liked it a lot. Now I am older and I'm working as a "sub", just like Mr. G. So I came to think of this film again, and now I've just finished watching it again. It is excellent. Even though conditions are not _that_ extreme here in Denmark, there are still a lot of similarities, and I feel with Mr. G. I'm a little bit closer to understanding what is going on in his head. I think this film does an excellent job in portraying its characters. The conflict and the subject of teacher/student relationship are brilliantly described. Furthermore, all of the actors, and Samuel L. Jackson in particular, are doing great jobs. What I also notice watching it again is the absolutely beautiful camera-technical and lighting effects.

In the world of 'teacher takes revenge' flicks, we have tons of flops. I think "187" is certainly not one of those flops. It is a film that has held up well since its release in 1997.

Samuel L. Jackson turns in one of his good performances here. The setting is perfect: a hazy, smoggy east Los Angeles in the 90's. Films like "American Me" and "Falling Down" also captured that 'L.A. thing' well. "187" does that. It makes you feel like you are there.

Some of it definitely plays like an after school special, but most of the plot here is gritty and believable...this is no "Class of 1984." Awesome soundtrack with lots of good Massive Attack too.

7 out of 10, kids.

This movie offers good insight into the culture of violence that is prevalent in cities like Los Angeles, especially its eastern part. Samuel Jackson plays a teacher who survived a brutal stabbing in a NY school and moves to L.A. in order to start again in a new place, trying to get away from the traumatic memories connected to his old working place. But it turns out to be just the beginning of a new nightmare for him: he gets the worst class imaginable, where some of the students are real thugs and hoodlums. The worst of them are Benny Chacon (played by an unknown actor) and Cesar Sanchez, played by Clifton Collins Jr in one of his first major roles. After Chacon kills a graffiti artist for spoiling one of his "masterpieces", he goes on the run and is later found dead. Garfield (Jackson) is left to deal with Sanchez, who proves to be enough for him to handle.

This shows how violence, psychological violence itself, can make a non-violent individual get more violent and retort to violence in order to solve a problem. Jackson's Trevor Garfield is a traumatised veteran who gets pushed too far by the school bullies and starts bullying back, in his own way. At the same time, this film also lays the blame on the school itself, its principal's tolerance for the bullies' antics and lack of understanding or sympathy for Garfield's plight clearly underscores that. The gangbangers get their way more often than not and Garfield has to fight a lone battle, one which also changes his personality.

It is a pretty strong film which has a sort of sleepy film-noir quality, reminiscent of some older films. Samuel Jackson makes a very good performance, same as Collins Jr and the beautiful Kelly Rowan and John Heard make good supporting performances. Rowan's character seems to be the only one which is "clean" in all this mess. Her role is that of a moral guardian who questions Jackson's actions when he retaliates against the bullies. Other characters are all pretty much despicable, except for Rita, who is just a victim of her own environment. This is the gangland, where only law is the law of the strongest and the most intimidating. It shows how hard it is to fight against this law.

A teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) makes every effort to engage his students at a tough inner-city New York high school when one day he is stabbed in the back by one of the students. After he recovers and although still traumatised he relocates to LA and an equally tough San Fernando high school where not only does he face similar challenges, but must also face up to his demons.

A slightly more fanciful thriller like variation with elements of vigilantism than films that covered similar subjects such as in the better STAND AND DELIVER (1988), MENACE II SOCIETY (1993) and DANGEROUS MINDS (1995). Nevertheless, the film still stands as a commentary on the violence in urban American high schools and for this it does an adequate job. Well acted by Jackson, his performance making the film more believeable.