The Life of David Gale

REVIEW
Texas: the death state. When many think back to George W. Bush’s tenure as Texas governor, their thoughts often are of his and the state’s high propensity for punishment of the capital variety. The Life of David Gale takes a dramatic look at this sensation, with Spacey playing a University of Austin professor and death penalty abolitionist who finds himself on death row for the rape and murder of a colleague (Linney). Winslet plays Bitsey Bloom, a reporter who Gale summons days before his scheduled execution to discuss details leading up to his incarceration. Much of the story is told in flashback and we find out about Gale’s life as a professor and how a few missteps shattered his hopes and career. The film is intense with a few over-the-top touches that threaten to dismantle the seriousness of its topic. Yet David Gale is held together by the trio of fine performances from Winslet, Spacey and Linney. It includes a few jolts and an effective ending twist to satisfy thriller tastes. But most importantly, it takes an open-eyed look at the damage that such fierce government laws does to a nation.