The Man Who Studies Murder (2003)

• 83%
• 2003
• Documentary
• Barbara Doran

A humble sort of expert, Elliott Leyton, a social anthropologist from Newfoundland, is considered "The Murder Man," often called upon to provide scientific commentary and context in the wake of mass killings. Originally created for The Nature of Things, Barbara Doran's "The Man Who Studies Murder" provides an overview of Leyton's lifework, distilling his wisdom and humour. He compares three of the world's significant murder cultures: Canada, Britain and the US. In Britain, he tells us, murder rates dropped when the phrase "Revenge belongs to the magistrate" was used to describe the official legal philosophy of prosecuting blood feuds. When the power to seek revenge was stymied on a personal level, but satisfied on a governmental level, murder decreased. In Newfoundland, the Canadian province with the lowest murder rates, and Leyton's home turf, he describes the existence of a haggling system wherein the seller undersells and the buyer overpays until they reach a happy medium. For Leyton, this is a culture where courtesy and backbiting and gossip and community essentially keeps the dark urges at bay. To establish the many contrasts between American and British philosophy he compares James Bond to Rambo. If "Bowling for Columbine" was a question, "The Man Who Studies Murder" is the reply.