As a moviegoer, I think that curiosity is the most triggering emotion when it comes to watching a movie. In addition, there is nothing more natural than wondering about the person who gave a movie its name. The 2014 British television movie The Lost Honor of Christopher Jefferies started for me with a few minutes of google research on who Christopher Jefferies was.
The conclusion I drew from this short research is that in real life he was a retired teacher who was accused of the murder of Joanna Yeates and was constantly questioned about his private life and preferences by being lynched by the press. The movie The Lost Honor of Christopher Jefferies is a drama-crime genre production about the murder he was accused of and the aftermath.
My curiosity was triggered even more and my choice to watch the movie was inevitable. I finally watched the movie and the lesson I learned from the movie is how prejudices can turn a human life into a nightmare. As a result of triggering behaviors such as dominating the other party, humiliating and judging him with arrogant behaviors, which already exist in society, through the press, it can reach very dangerous dimensions to enable the masses to carry out extrajudicial executions.
There are many examples of how the widely-quoted saying in legal circles that a person is innocent unless there is a final court verdict against him or her is not recognized by the press and most segments of society. Freedom of the press is indeed a value that must be defended, but someone has to face the consequences of its abuse. Those who must face the consequences should not be the person(s) who are not guilty but are portrayed as guilty by the public opinion environment created. The boundaries of private life must be protected and the right to defense must not be taken away.
I can say that Jason Watkins, who gave life to the character of Christopher Jefferies with his unique stance, rhetoric and appearance, gave a complete acting lesson, but I don't think it would be unfair to limit this lesson to acting through the character he portrayed. I am in favor of expanding the boundaries by saying that he taught a lesson to everyone watching in discourses that appeal to all segments of society, especially the police and the press. Jason Watkins gave the best acting performance I have seen recently with his role in The Lost Honor of Christopher Jefferies.
The scenes in which he was declared guilty by his environment, the police, the press and everyone who supported them, and then, after his innocence was revealed (the real killer confessed to the crime), his attempts to partially compensate for the injustice he suffered with counter-cases were the most enjoyable moments of the movie. Even the first-hand apology of the leading media outlets by naming their names, and the humility with which the wronged person is greeted by them, without arrogance, is a thing of great beauty. Instead of standing in front of them and enjoying the moment, it can be attributed to the humility of not going and sending his lawyer, because I would definitely stand in front of them and enjoy their apology by looking at them pityingly.
I strongly recommend you to watch The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, which is based on real life. It is a great production in terms of observing the trial of a person in the press and society before the courts because of his unique behavior and the crime attributed to him. I wish good viewing to everyone who will watch it, and thank you for being here and reading it.