This research study's main query is: How do criminology studies and crime movies relate to one another? The solution is actually quite straightforward: criminology is simply the study of crimes and criminals in general, and this implies that movies can be used as the main learning resource for the study of crimes and criminals. For a very long time, the study of criminology relied on film to portray crime through virtual reality without the actual commission of crime. This has been made better by the fact that films present social, psychological, and philosophical viewpoints that go beyond mere amusement. It is quite challenging for the students to relate
theory studies to practice as they find it abstruse and dry. Criminological theory is available in our daily lives in the form of various media like movies that clearly highlight how the ideas on crime are developed and shaped within the cultural imagination. To illustrate this argument we review the movie; NOW YOU SEE ME.
The movie features Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Mark Ruffalo. However the movie plot is based on four entertainers that form the Four Horsemen group. Woody Harrelson is tasked with the character of a mentalist capable of manipulating people’s brains through psychological tricks like mind prediction, reading and control to create illusions of possessing supernatural powers. In most cases, people use magic to swindle people’s money by taking advantage of the propensity of people towards committing confirmation bias of just recalling hits whereas the brain forgets misses or errors. However the four horsemen use their magic to steal from the rich and give the money to audience in the Robin Hood style. In the last scenes of their performance, the horsemen actually mention something along this idea, ‘when you use magic to take advantage of your crowds then it is no longer magic. ’At the end, the villain ends up being; Thaddeus Bradle a former magician who made his fortunes by exposing other magicians is exposed. In his formative years, Thaddeus exposed a magician who tried escaping from a safe that was submerged in water but dies in the process. The dead magician’s son ends up framing Thaddeus to get his revenge.
There has been a development of a broad range of theories that try to explain criminal behavior and many of these have evolved over time. Modern criminology analysts and researchers combine aspects of psychology, sociology, biological and anthropology theories in efforts to advance the general behavior of criminals.
The rational choice theory
The rational choice theory argues that individuals generally tend to act or make decisions based on self-interests that can be weighed by comparing risks against rewards. In the movie the four horsemen risk getting arrested even when they know they are hunted by the FBI and go against all the odds to still perform in various locations within the city. To a great extent it is evident that the actors can’t desist from the urges of performing before their crowds and the environment in which they perform is their biggest encouragement as it comprises of crowds that are willing to show up even against odd weather conditions.
Contemporary Trait theory
This theory argues that criminality is a result of abnormal physical and biological traits and this creates the link between behavioral patterns and the chemical changes that are experienced in the nervous system and the brain. Mark Ruffalo who was the son of the magician who died in an attempt to perform a trick underwater poses as an FBI agent but clearly the attributes of his father are passed down to him. This is evident in the end of the movie when he is revealed as the mastermind of the whole plan. He spent over thirty years of hard work and progressing on the FBI ranks just to execute this single act of vengeance. The abnormal physical conditions and biological conditions he had been subjected to as a child seeing his father die in the act of the safe malfunctioning can be used as the basis for his vengeance criminality traits. The psychological theory supports his argument in explaining criminal behavior that results from incomplete cognitive development or individuals being affected by development factors like negative child experiences.
Social conflict theory
This theory is primarily based on the conflict/Marxism theory that argues that an individual, group affiliations or an institution can influence thereby control other people. This theory portrays the political concept whereby the upper class is protected at the cost of lower classes. This theory addresses the concerns on the government’s development of criminogenic environments and existence of justice in the system. This is very evident in the movie when Mark Ruffalo is almost apprehended by his close associate Melanie Laurent who lets him escape and covers for his escape by lying to other officers because they seem to have fallen in love.
Social structure theory
The social structure theory uses a different methodology in explaining the behavior but it first tries to de-justify that biological factors contribute to crimes as this doesn’t account for the crimes in bad neighborhoods. In the theory’s argument urban conditions contribute to crimes especially in areas with low socioeconomic status and this is justifiable as most of the people in the audience are poor but are surprised with cash in their accounts. The impact of this crime-act could not have been so appealing to the crowd if used in an environment of rich people. At the same time the theory argues that crime is as a result of conformities to lower class subculture values that allow for a crime performed benefiting the larger audience to be justified. Finally the theory’s prime focal point is that the criminals are willing to take whichever approach they desire to achieve their objectives without caring of the legal considerations. The four horses in most cases are in lock heads with breaking the law but this doesn’t stop them from carrying on their magic tricks. Their daring and extreme acts are a good measure of the extent to which criminals can go to achieve their goals.
Conclusion
The use of movies has proved to be a critical topic of interest in utilizing the pop culture in enhancing how students understand abstract and complex ideas outside the theoretical classwork framework. The fields of criminal justice and criminology have hugely noticed the value of adopting such means to highlight atrocities of classism, inequality and even racism. In addition to this, movies can be used as a tool for understanding how criminology theories are applied in daily lives and in exams.
References
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Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (2013). Environment, routine and situation: Toward a pattern theory of crime. Advances in criminological theory, 5(2), 259-94.
Yar, M. (2015). The global ‘epidemic’of movie ‘piracy’: crime-wave or social construction?. Media, Culture & Society, 27(5), 677-696.
