I chose this movie- Crime and Punishment (1998), which is directed by Joseph

Sargent and filming took place in Budapest, Hungary. This movie is remake from the
novel. The novel- Crime and Punishment by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
It was first published in 1866 in the literary journal.

Crime and Punishment is an excellent social psychology novel and its

publications marks the Fyodor Dostoyevskys mature artistic style. Rodion
Romanovich Raskolnikov is the centre of the novel and he has a typical image with a
double personality. He is a poor student but he is very kind and helpful with talent and
sense of justice. But at the same time his character is gloomy and eccentric, "sometimes
even cold and ruthless, and he wanted to prove that he is a extraordinary person so
he began to kill the old woman. We can see that there are two distinct personalities in
him. Why did he commit a crime? He was often exploited by the usury old woman.
After the eradication of evil, his greater mistake is to mercilessly kill the old womans
sister who accidentally saw it all. This storyline lets me feel and see a person can
become very gloomy and indifferent and his/her true psychological reaction. However,
if a person realizes his own mistake, we must choose to forgive. Just like the author
characterized the protagonist, he wanted to tell us about everyone needs love and this
world is full of love. This is because love can affect and save everything. "What goes
around comes around is a constant truth. God will give a good person with a chance
to correct the wrong.

Crime and punishment is reflected in a turbulent and dark social state. In such
a social environment, Raskolnikovs swing and lack of faith. The background of the
novel and movie is in the period of serfdom reform, when Russian society is turbulent,
dark and chaotic. The author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky is best at analysing the human mind
and deep excavation of the inner world. Whether it is evil or good, he has been presented
to me with a deep and true inner monologue. Crime and punishment as a spiritual
confession, and it contained with the author's beliefs, philosophy and values. Through
the in-depth analysis of the fall of people's beliefs at the time of society, the tragedy of
Raskolnikov caused by the lack of faith and finally pointed out a path of religious
salvation.

The content referred to sin, but also referred to affection and family. They
accounted for a large part of the protagonist heart. In fact, the protagonist wanted to kill
the old woman because he felt that he was very poor and his mother and sister were
also suffered. Therefore, he felt too unfair, this is the reason for his murder. However,
before the murder, he was afraid his mother and sister bear his sin so he became very
hesitant. Finally, he decided to confess to the police because of Sonya and his family.
After watching this film, I am sympathetic to the experience of the protagonist because
he did not want to do such a thing. I think if we are in that era, we may be like him.

In this novel and movie, it also profoundly depicts out that the complex
psychology of Raskolnikov before and after crime, he originally thought that all his
pain will end, but the situation is anxiety, fear and suspicion. Therefore, he was in a
nervous breakdown and he suffered conscience. Finally, he met with a girl, Sonya who
has influenced him so that he went back to the right path. However, in fact, I think
Raskolnikov is an honest, kind, talented, and highly compassionate student, he will
embark on the path of crime because of the darkness of society. The reasons that
prompted him to become a criminal are the family poverty, social injustice, and the
future bleak. His spirit is distorted and his heart become sick, in fact, it is a very
important issue in society. I believe that a lot of people like Raskolnikov in the world.
In fact, the main reason to lead Raskolnikov crime is hate, he hated the whole world.

This movie argues that all acts of violence against evil are not a proper way.
This is because people cannot overcome their mistakes, while destroying others and
also destroying themselves. This film also describes that there are only three dead ends
in front of the poor. First, starved to death in cold weather; second, struggling to survive;
third, take the risk and offense. Belongs to the first, it is the vast majority of poor people.
Belong to the second, can be found everywhere, which includes Sonya and Dunya.
Sonya is forced to prostitute herself to support herself and the rest of her family. Dunya
is Raskolnikovs sister and she is forced to agree to marry a philistine in order to support
her mother and brother. However, Sonya deemed that death does not mean that the
problem is solved, it brings the suffering to her family only. Therefore, I discovered
this film exposed the pain and sorrow of the poor. In addition, I think when necessary,
we will suppress our sense of morality; freedom, tranquillity, and even conscience in
order to let our beloved people be happiness. In the capitalist society, women can only
be counted as a commodity with abuse.
 Besides this, this movie also describes the suffering of good people in the
bottom of society and the distorted soul. Actually, it gives us the meaning is very
esoteric. For examples, first, is murder guilty? Second, does man have the right to kill
someone for a lofty goal or for the benefit of the people? I think people need to pay
attention to the problem because everything will have a reason. For instance, drug
addicts want to robbery, theft, and murder because they need money to buy drugs to
satisfy their own desires and survive. Also, why do thieves need to steal? People will
make mistakes because this world cannot be fair. However, the most important is we
must be fair to treat everyone.

Through this novel and movie, I learn about analysis of the underlying causes
of lack of faith. There are three reasons. First, heavy life. Raskolnikovs life stress came
mainly from the dark future, frustration of life and high family expectations. Therefore,
these pressures are the main motivation for his murder. Second, the potential evil and
lust in human nature. Raskolnikov told her sister that he wanted to murder and possess
the old womans money. So, he can use these moneys to help his family to get rid of
poor and as post-graduate activities. Although he did such a bad thing because of his
family, but his selfish and evil side has been clearly exposed. The main roots are
because of the lack of faith or weak, and finally weakened his minds. Third, the
influence of "Superman Philosophy". Raskolnikov has always attributed himself to a
class of superman which is talented and different. Therefore, he divided people into
a higher and lower class. He thought that since he belonged to the higher class, he had
the right to commit crimes and destroyed the present to pursue a new life. His original
thought and action showed that he did not believe in God and believe himself, but when
his faith was completely broken, he eventually returned to God's side. In the authors
writing era, the new belief system has not yet been established. The whole Russian
society was in a state of turbulence and chaos, and the mind and faith of protagonist
were unstable, it was the refraction and concentration of social culture at that time.

When I read and watch the whole work, I discover the author consciously
warned people must fully understand their depravation so they have to understand the
sin. Evil is very terrible, but if we dont want to change or cannot find the way to change
it and then evil will become more terrible. I think as long as we can recognize our own
sin, then we find a way to correct it and finally we will be able to overcome it. Obviously,
when the author was creating literary works, he gave us a stronger sense of freshness
and excitement. The reason that it can endure is this novel and movie met the readers
expectations. Furthermore, the image of the characters shaped by the author conforms
to the reader's expectations.

Morality is the root cause of personality division. Actually, people know how
to distinguish between good and evil. The personality split will be inevitable because
this sense of morality makes them aware of their sins so they carry out self-denial.
Therefore, I think, there are two kinds of people in the world. First, a person does
whatever he wants without morality; second, a person is suffering from the pain of split
personality. The reason is whether a person has a sense of morality. Of course, morality
also potentially directs people to seek rescue. People will do the decision to seek help
because of the moral and conscience as a mortgage, this novel fully illustrates the moral
is another force to let the people take the initiative to seek redemption motives.

To me, Sonya was a very poor girl but she was the saviour in this novel and
movie. She became a prostitute because of her family. However, despite such a career,
she has never lost touch with God. At the same time, through her compassionate nature
and ability to love, she touches deeply one side of Raskolnikov's character. Finally, she
saved and transformed him. I think, what we can learn from Sonya is understand and
forgive all people. Also, we have to stubbornly live in insult and damage with God. For
example, as Sonya said: "What can I do without God?"

In my opinion, the formation of the dual personality of Raskolnikov has several

reasons such as family background, personal character and social reality. However, the
most important is the brutality of capitalism led to the protagonists tragedy. Thus, this
movie was also use the dual personality of Raskolnikov to irony and criticism of
capitalist crimes. The reality of society and family background had been prompted him
to the road of murder, but also it is an opportunity to let his human nature to change.
The transformation of human nature made him a psychological contradiction, but from
the "crime" to "penalty" and this is his process of contradiction. This performance is
about the authors thinking and sentiment for human nature. I think, for one person, the
physical punishment is not a real punishment. The guilt and uneasiness of the mind of
a person is the real and heaviest punishment. Because of the soul of the "punishment",
Raskolnikov finally succumb to the noble power of purity and kindness in human nature
and eventually his soul was redeemed and released.
 If the spirit is not strong enough, the community will only give us many
challenge in our life, such as let us fall into confusion and anxiety. On the road to the
rescue, life will be filled with many tangled and struggling, contradictory and hesitant.
However, what is the reason that lead to people are not afraid the road of hardships. I
think is the sincere and love between people and belief in the heart. When Raskolnikov
felt Sonya and his sisters love, he bravely out of the shadow of the heart and towards
the light, but also he wanted a better life in future so he eliminated his fear and defeated
himself.

In the life of the people, the hardest thing is to conquer their own. But
Raskolnikov did it. This also tells us that in order to pursue a better life, we must
overcome our inner fear and then conquer ourselves. Therefore, we can overcome the
difficulties in life and achieve our own ideals and aspirations. Also, this novel and
movie are such a great soul works. It lets our mind become probation and cultivation
and also we have a deeper analysis and insights of this novel and movie.