Crime Without Punishment Crime can be of all kinds, big and small. Punishment can be the internal guilt an individual feels or an external sanction from the law or society. It is common to think that all crime is punished. In reality, many crimes go unpunished by law. Individuals can feel punishment through personal remorse, but in some cases it is possible to overcome this guilt and move on. This is the case in Woody Allen’s film Crimes and Misdemeanors. Allen’s film shows the various unpunished misdeeds of the two main characters, Judah Rosenthal and Cliff Stern.
Crimes and Misdemeanors was inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s work, Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky’s main character, Raskolnikov, commits murder and his subconscious forces him to confess to the crime. Allen’s film and its title, Crimes and Misdemeanors, include strategic similarities and differences to illustrate that his main idea counters that of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment follows Raskolnikov’s journey, as he plans and commits murder, almost without incrimination. As the murder investigation moves forward, Raskolnikov begins to feel physically ill and starts to suffer from his hidden guilt.
Although he thinks he is extraordinary and will not have any emotions, his subconscious eats at him until he confesses and is sentenced to nine months in prison. The actual murder scene is brief, but Raskolnikov’s internal suffering goes on for pages. His hallucinations, haunting dreams, delirious rants and actions show that he did, after all, feel guilty. In this way, Dostoevsky emphasizes the misery that Raskolnikov felt. Emphasis on the internal effects of the criminal demonstrates that this is the main form of punishment. The tormenting guilt is orse than any other punishment. Because of his confession, Raskolnikov goes through both forms of punishment, mental and legal. Once he receives his punishment, he views the world as a new place. Dostoevsky writes, “from the high bank a wide view of the surrounding countryside opened out. A barely audible song came from the far bank opposite.
There, on the boundless, sun-bathed steppe, nomadic yurts could be seen, like barely visible black specks. There was freedom, there a different people lived, quite unlike those here, there time itself seemed to stop… (549). This description is from the inside of Raskolnikov’s prison. The beautiful, open scenery appears heavenly to him. Confessing to the crime freed Raskolnikov from the torments of his subconscious. This completed the cycle of crime and punishment for Dostoevsky. It shows that even if there is no legal punishment, guilt will ultimately force an individual to do the right thing, or to suffer internally. Either way the criminal will suffer. Dostoevsky’s title illustrates this conclusion: there is no such thing as a crime without punishment.
Woody Allen had a different take on Dostoevsky’s idea of crime and punishment. His film, Crimes and Misdemeanors, follows the storylines of two main characters and their misbehaviors. The first storyline follows the successful ophthalmologist, Judah Rosenthal. When his mistress threatens to expose their ongoing affair to his wife, Judah does not know what to do. In fear of losing it all, he hires a hit man to take care of the problem. Judah starts to act strange, hallucinate, and feel the guilt on his conscience. By luck, another criminal is arrested for the murder and Judah is relieved.
The second storyline is of an unsuccessful director, Cliff Stern. Cliff is stuck in an unhappy marriage and falls in love with a producer he works with. He feels that in his situation, adultery would be justified because he and his wife are unhappy. Cliff and Judah are both in the wrong, but do not get punished. The title Crimes and Misdemeanors reflects the main characters’ misbehaviors and their lack of punishment. Crimes and misdemeanors are both types of wrongdoings. Including both shows that they are different.
Crime is a more serious offense, which violates morality and a misdemeanor is a lesser violation. Judah commits a crime by ordering his mistress’ murder. Cliff commits a misdemeanor by wanting to pursue his new love interest. Judah and Cliff are not the only sinners in the film. We also witness other characters’ evil deeds. The plurality in the title indicates that there are, in fact, numerous wrongdoings. These acts are shown in the two plot lines, as well as reflected in real life, where people live their lives surrounded by various acts of mischief.
Allen’s biggest point is including diverse crimes, and no punishment. In the concluding dialogue with Cliff, Judah says, “he’s on the verge of a mental collapse, an inch away from confessing the whole thing to the police. And then one morning, he awakens. The sun is shining, his family is around him and mysteriously, the crisis has lifted” (Allen). Judah is explaining a hypothetical murder to Cliff, where the murderer does not get punished and ends up okay. This hypothetical story is a reality for Judah. He committed murder, did not get punished, and moves on with his life.
This clearly illustrates the main idea of Crimes and Misdemeanors: not all crime is punished and people can move on with their lives after committing crimes and misdemeanors. Although Allen’s conclusion differs from Dostoevsky’s, he uses similarities in the film to allude to Crime and Punishment. The characters Judah and Raskolnikov both murder innocent people to try to ease their problems. Afterwards, both characters act in almost identical ways. They both return to the scene of the crime and debate confessing. Guilt pushes both them to the brink of insanity.
Judah and Raskolnikov feel this very same agonizing guilt. The titles of both works reflect that the characters would be involved in immoral actions through the word crime, but Allen also adds in misdemeanors. The title Crimes and Misdemeanors is in plural form. Allen’s film demonstrates the plurality through the two plot lines of Judah and Cliff. Both of them commit some kind of wrongdoing and the film follows both of them equally. The point of view is external and focuses on their everyday lives. As viewers, we witness all of the misdeeds, but we also watch how Judah and Cliff go on with their lives.
This makes the title and the film easy to relate to. However, the title Crime and Punishment is in singular form because Dostoevsky focuses on Raskolnikov’s internal conflict. We see how Raskolnikov’s suffers day by day and slowly goes crazy. Dostoevsky’s focus on crime and punishment is from the psychological point of view. The title illustrates that his work is centered on the internal aspects of one character. Where Allen shows that life goes on, Dostoevsky claims that crime leads to suffering. The crimes lead to two extremely different endings that are reflected in the titles.
Judah’s guilt pushes him close confession, but his rational thinking convinces him to move on. On the other hand, Raskolnikov’s subconscious causes an insanity that pressures him into admitting his guilt. Although both characters find their relief, it is found in different ways. Judah wakes up one day, and moves on with his life like nothing ever happened. Raskolnikov’s relief is through a long process of punishment. Dostoevsky’s title, Crime and Punishment, clearly illustrates that all crime is punished in some way.
Allen distinctly mimics Dostoevsky’s title, but in the absence of punishment, Allen presents his disagreement with the main idea of Crime and Punishment and reveals his belief: not all crime is punished. The two titles, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Crime and Punishment, have key similarities and differences that illustrate two clashing main ideas. The clear similarities between the general plot lines show that Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment heavily influenced Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors. The similar crimes and reactions demonstrate Allen’s reliance on Dostoevsky’s work.
Allen makes the main distinction by altering his title to reflect the contrasting conclusions. Where Dostoevsky believes that all crime will be punished by guilt or law, Allen believes that this idea can only be true in fiction. The belief that every crime is punished is an unrealistic utopia to Allen. As shown through Crimes and Misdemeanors, the most normal and rational people can commit all kinds of offenses. These acts may be serious or minor, and may not always be punished. In reality not every criminal will be caught, and not every individual will suffer from a guilty conscience. Crime without punishment, is a more believable outcome.
