Speaking of inspiring characters in films, I am compelled to write about the movie, ‘Devil’s Advocate’ that was released in 1997. The film story revolves around Kevin, the Advocate (played by Keanu Reeves), his wife Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron) and Satan, John Milton (played by Al Pacino). It is not about any character in this movie that inspired me but it’s the movie’s underlying theme, that ‘vanity’ in the successful advocate may have a far-reaching influence on his professional front. But on the flip side, it creates a devastating circumstance at the home front, for the devil in him slowly inhabits his body and mind, disbanding all morals and ethos. Vanity is the first name of any successful advocate. It is radiant all around him like an aura, glaringly revealing his excessive pride with illusory superiority. It’s not easy for him to underplay it, for his consciousness will not accept his pride to be sacrificed and this forces him to display even his insignificant acts in the process as success, in an extravagant manner.
Kevin is a successful advocate in the small town of Gainesville, Florida, who never lost a case and he has this uncompromising urge to always win and retain his position as 'the undefeatable' in the entire district. The film opens with a courtroom trial where Kevin is defending a school teacher accused of child molestation. Kevin is aware that his client is guilty and goes to the bathroom for a conscious call, and after a few minutes of deliberation with himself, he becomes vehement of winning the case and not losing his track-record. Kevin returns to the courtroom and starts cross examining the molested child and where he brings out the fact that the children were playing some dirty games as their pastime and that her accusation against the teacher was only her imagination. Kevin, with his courtroom craft, makes the child witness say the right words that loses her credibility in the courtroom resulting in the acquittal of his client. Kevin’s reputation reaches the ears of John Milton, who heads a reputed law firm in New York, and he recruits him immediately.
Kevin's first assignment is to pick the right jury for an important case and Kevin does that with ease, which helps the firm win without any hiccups. Then come the perks — a big apartment and a handsome paycheck. Kevin and his wife Mary Ann move into the swanky apartment but Kevin becomes busy like never before and is unable to give any time to his wife. Kevin creates wonders with his extraordinarily manipulated strategies and saves a contemptuous billionaire, who had murdered his wife, child and the maid. Kevin is aware that the billionaire is guilty of murder, but he has no intention of giving up his winning spree and he even indulges in false testimonies and wins the case for the firm. Day by day, case by case, Kevin falls deeper into the trap of the darker world, even getting attracted to his co-worker Christabella. Back at home, his wife Mary Ann becomes insane, hallucinating demons everywhere and is admitted into a mental institution. Kevin’s mother visits from their hometown and discloses to her son that John Milton is his father.
Kevin crashes into Milton's chambers and questions him about the truth, and it is then that John Milton reveals that he is Satan himself and that Kevin's insatiable desire to win any situation, whether moral or not, had given way to Satan to lodge himself in Kevin. And he wants Kevin to conceive an Anti-Christ child with his half-sister Christabella. When Kevin hesitates, Milton states that he had all the opportunities not to indulge in any of the illegal practices but he went on and on, and now, he cannot turn back. At this stage, Kevin realises his wrong choices in life and shoots himself.
Kevin wakes up in the bathroom at the court scene in the beginning where he was contemplating whether to continue the child molestation case in support of his client or not. He returns this time taking the right choice and announces to the Court that he is withdrawing himself from the case, not fearing any consequential strictures of disbarment that might be taken on him for withdrawing at that stage of trial. The metaphor ‘Devil’s Advocate’ does not end at that stage of realisation because when the local reporter, Larry, praises him for the right decision and proposes a high-profile interview that can make him a celebrity. Kevin’s inner intent still continues to indulge in vanity, agreeing to the interview, and he says ‘Yes’ while leaving the court. Larry transforms into Milton declaring "Vanity, definitely my favourite sin.”
One such illustrious advocate I happened to know was Mr KV Prasad, in the year 1985 in Hyderabad. I engaged his services during the internal feud with my joint family and the results were phenomenal. I loved listening as he articulately narrated his victorious legal battles in 1977 when he was among the battery of advocates defending Sanjay Gandhi and his party-men for the numerous alleged atrocities committed by them during the ‘emergency’. Mr Prasad was one among the favourites among the team because of his quick reflexes armoured with his artifices, intrigues and plotting in the courts, confusing witnesses into giving the right ‘wrong’ answers. He had a baritone voice but his wit was cool and timely with composure. He subdued his opponent’s counsel in court, decimating him without any mercy with his witty one-liners. Mr Prasad had an amazing talent to quickly identify the lacunae in the case, around which he weaved the grounds and arguments. There was no better entertainment for me whenever he recounted those episodes of assaults on his opponents in court. I was swooned by Mr Prasad’s legal acumen and quick analysis of any case, which he resolved with his unconventional and out-of-the-box strategies, but he carried the pride that he was the best, which in fact did not harm anyone around him but himself. I was a huge fan of Mr Prasad. After his sudden death in 1994, his family became the victim of his vanity for there was not a single person who came to the rescue of his orphaned children to help them identify the numerous land properties that he had purchased in and around Hyderabad during his successful run. Mr Prasad was definitely a very good advocate but little did he imagine the fate of his children in case of any unforeseen incident to him. He assumed that the reputation he had earned as an extraordinary advocate would remain forever and indirectly support his family even after he died.
‘Think as the Devil’s Advocate’ is an idiom used in any strategic conversation trying to build grounds for argument against one’s own cause and to cure the same with a counter argument. It is used to express the concept of arguing against something without actually being committed to the contrary view but the theme of the film was that an advocate can fall prey easily when he himself supports the evil in his client of which he has complete knowledge and takes credit for its success. That could lead to catastrophic changes in the advocate’s ethical character and subsequently, penetrate into his family life. Of course it is not the business of the advocate to test the morals of the client before accepting the brief, for the duty of an advocate is only to contest fearlessly for the benefit of his client as per the Advocates Act.
The message conveyed is that even if the advocate is ethical in his profession, it's the slightest trace of vanity that pulls him back into the dark world germinating from the seed still dormant in him. A complete disowning of one’s success as if it's not his, is the only right way to subdue vanity and not to fall prey to the Devil. I try to keep myself in check always by confessing to my clients that “in case you are lucky, you might get relief from the court, and if you do not get any relief, then it's my bad luck”. It's tough to make that statement subduing my vanity, for after all, ‘vanity’ is a high stimulant without any drug. Throughout my life, I have witnessed many gigantic and powerful personalities who lived in ‘vanity’ but fell at the slightest whiff of air.
I recommend the readers to watch this movie in which all the main players delivered memorable performances, reminding the viewers that ‘vanity’ is indeed the Devil’s favourite sin. It is necessary to be the ‘Devil’s Advocate’ to build a strong defence only, but not to become the apostle of the Devil himself.
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