Based on an alarming true story, Trial By Fire tells the story of a death-row inmate and the unlikely bond he forms with a mother of two. The film opens in Texas in the year 1991 as Cameron ‘Todd’ Willingham (Jack O’Connell) awakens to find his house on fire and his three young daughters trapped inside. Tragically, all three children perish in the fire, and after a swift investigation, Todd is accused of deliberately starting the fire and causing the deaths of his children. Given the heinous nature of the crime, he is found guilty and placed onto death row. Despite being convicted by the jury, he is adamant that he is innocent and begins work on trying to free himself. After several years, he reaches out to Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern) who begins to uncover questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case. Thus begins a bitter battle with the state to expose buried evidence that could save his life.
With such a meaty and unbelievably true story, Trial by Fire offers a lot for the viewer to sink their teeth into. The vastness of the material requires a deft hand, and director Edward Zwick is the perfect person to helm such an absorbing tale. His back catalogue of films, which include Blood Diamond and Defiance amongst others, prove that he can handle a tricky subject matter, and Trial By Fire presents a very difficult situation in a very delicate way. Zwick never explicitly gets into the validity of Willingham’s guilt, instead painting a wider picture involving all the players and not Todd alone. Offering plenty of details, but allowing the viewer to make up their own mind.
The intricate and emotional beats are played out beautifully on screen by Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern. Both have been consistently good in every project they’ve tackled, but here O’Connell shines especially bright. Todd Willingham is an incredibly complex character. He’s no sweet-natured John Coffrey, but rather an aggressive foul-mouthed drunk with a volatile temper. It’s easy to see how simple it could be to sway a jury to prove his guilt as he is a very unsavoury character, one that is hard to connect with. Yet O’Connell manages to show softer shades of Todd and by doing so generates a lot of empathy.
Trial By Fire is not an easy watch and is tough-going right from the get-go. By opening with the fire, Zwick isn’t afraid to show the stark incident and it’s gut-wrenching results. Zwick also revisists the scene several times during the narrative as Todd is haunted by the experience. These moments are more traumatising because of the fact that the events actually happened. Casting a spotlight onto such a controversial and upsetting story encourages outrage and debate; Zwick has surely set out to ignite a spark in future purveyors of justice.
Dazzler Media presents Trial By Fire on DVD & Digital from 7th December.
Trial By Fire
Summary
An uncompromising exploration of a delicate subject, Zwick once again shines a light onto injustices that are in the world.
