History Film / TheLifeOfDavidGale

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: During a drunken ramble, David says Socrates was sentenced to death for insulting the judges by, after he was convicted, suggesting as his punishment a fine of only thirty ''mina'', comparing that to thirty bucks. In reality though, ''Literature/ApologyOfSocrates'' says he suggested a fine of a hundred ''drachma'', soon raised to three thousand-a very substantial sum. Being a literature professor, David likely would be aware of this.

* CluelessAesop: The film is very clearly against the death penalty, by trying to show that innocent person can be executed. The problem is that [[spoiler:rather than showing an innocent person who is a victim of circumstances or a frame-up it shows the victim actually ''wanting'' to get executed, and both him and the murder victim actively trying to make it happen, at which point it's not really an innocent victim of death penalty as an assisted suicide.]]

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: During a drunken ramble, David says Socrates was sentenced to death for insulting the judges by, after he was convicted, suggesting as his punishment a fine of only thirty ''mina'', comparing that to thirty bucks. In reality though, ''Literature/ApologyOfSocrates'' says he suggested a fine of three hundred ''drachma'', raised to five thousand soon after-a very substantial sum. Being a literature professor, David likely would be aware of this.

* CluelessAesop: The film is very clearly against death penalty, by trying to show that innocent person can be executed. The problem is that [[spoiler:rather than showing an innocent person who is a victim of circumstances or a frame-up it shows the victim actually ''wanting'' to get executed, and both him and the murder victim actively trying to make it happen, at which point it's not really an innocent victim of death penalty as an assisted suicide.]]

* CluelessAesop: The film is very clearly against death penalty, by trying to show that innocent person can be executed. The problem is [[spoiler:rather than showing an innocent person who is victim of circumstances or frame-up it shows the victim actually ''wanting'' to get executed, and both him and the murder victim actively trying to make it happen, at which point it's not really an innocent victim of death penalty as assisted suicide.]]

* CluelessAesop: The film is very clearly against death penalty, by trying to show that innocent person can be executed. The problem is [[spoiler:rather than showing innocent person who is victim of circumstances or frame-up it shows victim actually ''wanting'' to get executed, and both him and the murder victim actively trying to make it happen, at which point it's not really an innocent victim of death penalty as assisted suicide.]]

David Gale is a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Bitsey Bloom (Winslet) is the reporter he requests to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Linney). About half of the film is a {{flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Creator/RhonaMitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern Zack (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether Gale can--and should--be saved.

David Gale is a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Bitsey Bloom (Winslet) is the reporter he requests to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Linney). About half of the film is a {{flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Creator/RhonaMitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether Gale can--and should--be saved.

David Gale is a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Bitsey Bloom (Winslet) is the reporter he requests to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Linney). About half of the film is a {{flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Creator/RhonaMitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether Gale can -- and should -- be saved.

''The Life of David Gale'' is a 2003 thriller film directed by Alan Parker and starring Creator/KevinSpacey in the title role.

David Gale is a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Bitsey Bloom (Creator/KateWinslet) is the reporter he requests to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Creator/LauraLinney). About half of the film is a {{flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Creator/RhonaMitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether David Gale should or could be saved.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/life_of_david_gale.jpg]]

''The Life of David Gale'' is a 2003 thriller starring Creator/KevinSpacey as David Gale, a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Creator/KateWinslet plays Bitsey Bloom, the reporter he requested to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Creator/LauraLinney). About half of the film is a {{Flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Creator/RhonaMitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether David Gale should or could be saved.

* AllForNothing: The governor had promised that if evidence if an innocent person executed ever surfaced he'd call a moratorium on capital punishment. [[spoiler: Gale's death is set up as exactly this. However, the governor refuses to call a moratorium, saying the state can't be blamed for a plot by someone else.]]

* AllForNothing: The governor had promised if evidence if an innocent person executed ever surfaced he'd call a moratorium on capital punishment. [[spoiler: Gale's death is set up as exactly this. However, the governor refuses to call a moratorium, saying the state can't be blamed for a plot by someone else.]]

* FanDisservice: Laura Linney has an extended nude scene. [[spoiler: In which, as part of the whole plan to make her suicide look like murder, she undresses completely, ties a bag over her head, cuffs her wrists behind her back and duly suffocates to death.]]

* SuicideNotMurder: Linney's character, terminally ill, lets herself be killed as part of the plan.

* FollowTheLeader: The plot is more than a little bit similar to an old Creator/FritzLang thriller called ''Film/BeyondAReasonableDoubt''.

-->'''David Gale:''' No, that was Hitler.

%%* SuicideNotMurder

* FalseRapeAccusation : One of the reasons David loses his job.

''The Life of David Gale'' is a 2003 thriller starring KevinSpacey as David Gale, a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. KateWinslet plays Bitsey Bloom, the reporter he requested to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Creator/LauraLinney). About half of the film is a {{Flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Rhona Mitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether David Gale should or could be saved.

* [[spoiler:SuicideNotMurder]]
* [[spoiler:ThanatosGambit]]: A double, in fact.

''The Life of David Gale'' is a 2003 thriller starring KevinSpacey as David Gale, a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. KateWinslet plays Bitsey Bloom, the reporter he requested to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Laura Linney). About half of the film is a {{Flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Rhona Mitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether David Gale should or could be saved.

''The Life of David Gale'' is a 2003 thriller starring Kevin Spacey as David Gale, a Texas death row inmate, former philosophy professor and anti-death penalty activist. Kate Winslet plays Bitsey Bloom, the reporter he requested to conduct an interview in the last week of his life, before his execution for the rape and murder of his friend, colleague, and fellow activist Constance Harraway (Laura Linney). About half of the film is a {{Flashback}} as Gale describes the events leading up to his conviction, starting with a rape accusation by one of his students (Rhona Mitra), and claims his innocence. With the help of her intern (Gabriel Mann), Bloom must figure out what really happened and whether David Gale should or could be saved.

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!!''The Life of David Gale'' contains examples of:

* YouKnowWhoSaidThat: The film invokes GodwinsLaw with this. The film revolves around a university teacher and political commentator who is firmly against capital punishment. During a political debate, he baits his opponent like this:

* [[spoiler:ThanatosGambit]]: A double, in fact.