A backbone built on honor, code, and loyalty defines the “chain-of-command” mentality that associates with the military’s public persona. No clearer is this than in Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, bringing the judgement line of a military order and a gradually rationalized act of unethical action to the forefront. Commentary considered by Phillip Zimbardo’s “The Stanford Experiment” and Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience”, all these articles of psychological analysis bring nuance to such acts. The experiment of Zimbardo brought together twenty-one men to simulate a prison environment and its influence on the psyche. A multitude of the men’s behaviors resulted in issues across the board, from mutiny to emotional breakdowns of a dangerous
…show more content…
Their study follows even more so through the court case and contesting perspectives that differentiate the military from society (Kelman and Hamilton 136). With analysis applied to the lens of A Few Good Men, implications lead one to understand that the use of intimidation and loyalty contribute most prevalently to the authorization and eventual dehumanization present in Rob Reiner’s film and the actions taken by such characters. Although less saturated in A Few Good Men, the depiction of Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson’s respect to his “chain-of-command” is effectively presented by Kelman and Hamilton more so than Zimbardo’s passive interpretation; nonetheless, both considerably explain the use of intimidation to rationalize Markinson’s initiative to follow his commanding officer’s orders. Kelman and Hamilton’s study of similar court cases find themselves dissecting the rationale behind intimidation. The two would conclude that the fear and intimidation is a by-product of the military’s system of rank. In their article, Lt. Calley states on the stand post-war that his actions were hardly that of his own.
Their study follows even more so through the court case and contesting perspectives that differentiate the military from society (Kelman and Hamilton 136). With analysis applied to the lens of A Few Good Men, implications lead one to understand that the use of intimidation and loyalty contribute most prevalently to the authorization and eventual dehumanization present in Rob Reiner’s film and the actions taken by such characters. Although less saturated in A Few Good Men, the depiction of Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson’s respect to his “chain-of-command” is effectively presented by Kelman and Hamilton more so than Zimbardo’s passive interpretation; nonetheless, both considerably explain the use of intimidation to rationalize Markinson’s initiative to follow his commanding officer’s orders. Kelman and Hamilton’s study of similar court cases find themselves dissecting the rationale behind intimidation. The two would conclude that the fear and intimidation is a by-product of the military’s system of rank. In their article, Lt. Calley states on the stand post-war that his actions were hardly that of his own.