The Purge - Would You Murder Someone if it was Legal?

The Purge was an exciting thriller, but overall could have been significantly better.  This Sci-Fi thriller takes place in the year 2022 (frighteningly not too long in our future) and centers around the annual “Purge” a 12 hour lawless period in which all crime is legal including murder and all emergency services are suspended until the following morning.  Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a wealthy salesman who deals in sub-par security systems designed to help people survive the Purge.  After his son allows a homeless man who is under attack to enter the safety of their home the family is faced with a difficult moral decision.  Surrounded by the man’s attackers, a group of rich, young sociopaths, the family must decide whether to return the man to the angry mob for execution or to harbor him inside their home and risk the entry of the killers and the slaughter of everyone inside.  This concept I felt was really strong; the idea of having to choose to either save someone less fortunate than yourself, or sacrifice him to keep your family safe.  In fact one of the major issues people have with the Purge is that despite crime and violence being at an all-time low, many claim the 12 hour killing fest is selectively getting rid of the less fortunate and creating an America full of affluent people.  Needless to say, a large amount of violence against your fellow man is the focal point of this film making both the Sandin family and the viewer decide what they would do if faced with such a gruesome situation.  Overall, the film was entertaining to watch despite the poor acting which is rampant throughout.  I just think that the concept was so much stronger than the final product and that is unfortunate.  I would have loved for the film to be more drama-oriented and less of a thriller/horror movie, but with a sequel already in the works, maybe I’ll get my wish.  That being said, it leaves us all with the ultimate question: would you murder someone if it was legal?