Cole, Minority Report

In Steven Spielberg's 2002 Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, the idea of catching criminals before they are able to act has become a reality, reducing the crime rate in 2054 Washington D.C. to nearly zero. The law enforcing team known as "Pre-Crime" uses advanced technology, as well as genetically altered humans called "pre cogs", to catch criminals before they are able to commit their crime. This seemingly "good" organization brings up the question "what is crime?" According to Terri Murray's Our Post Moral Future?, the definition of crime is radically changed by these "Pre-Crime" concepts. In its ordinary sense, 'crime' is meaningless unless committed, and is a crime precisely because it is done. The would be criminals in Minority Report are whisked away by the Pre crime unit, put into a coma-like state, and are forced to watch the crime they almost committed on repeat. Murray argues, “If we are prepared to punish people for what they merely intend to do, are we also prepared to reward people for good intentions before a virtuous deed is done?” Pre Crime in Minority Report is essentially taking away a very basic freedom of choice. By putting them into a vegetable state for life because of an intended crime, law enforcers are implying that people have no ability to change their minds, or restrain their violent thoughts. We saw in the film though, that Cruise’s character did in fact choose to be “virtuous” and not kill the man who was foreseen to die.

It is also interesting to observe how the pre cogs are treated in the film. They are, in fact, human, yet are reduced to mere objects used to foresee future crime. Even in the film someone says, “it’s better if you don’t think of them as human.” When we see Agatha and John Anderton meet up with the cyber reality guy, he even kneels down to Agatha in a worshipping way. The pre cogs are viewed as god like for their abilities, even though it was through drug abuse that they are so talented. Their freedom is also given up because of something beyond their control.