Earlier what crossed my mind was thinking about Robocop, a classic film I quite loved and something I consider to be Paul Verhoven's Magnum Opus, and I was thinking about the similarities the character shared with Judge Dredd, I've only seen the Stallone movie but I know enough about the comic to have a decent understanding of the themes and characters, and enough to know that it seems like a really deep and interesting work that speaks of the concepts of law, order, fascism, equality, democracy and takes a very hard and cynical look at these ideals.
Anyway as I got to thinking about these two characters I realized that while they seem similar they're actually very different from one another, by the simple fact that Dredd is a human and Robo is a cyborg. Dredd is a fervent believer in the concept of the law, so much so that he could be considered a religious fanatic, he doesn't believe in the system or the people that represent it, but actually believes in the very concept itself, he dedicates himself to it with such zeal that everything else even his own personal identity melts away and he honestly believes himself to be the physical embodiment of the law, as he often states in his catchphrase. Robocop isn't really a law enforcer or a believer, but literally an instrument of the corrupt corporate elites, though some of his personality still exists Robocop is still at his core a machine, his actions aren't dictated by belief or dedication but by his programming, the same programming that makes him enforce THEIR laws and prevents him from taking action against his corporate masters, and while Dredd genuinely represents the law, Robocop is just a tool of a corrupt corporate class who are easily the most criminal and vicious people in the world.
Even more interesting than the contrasts of what they represent I feel are the characters themselves and how they compare with their symbolism. Dredd, even though he believes wholeheartedly in the rule of law, is a brutal, violent fascist, he enforces the law with uncompromising zeal, a strong believer in the righteousness of his cause and he uses to the harshest methods available to enforce his beliefs. Robocop however actually was a good person, and still is to a certain extent, and though he believed in the law he didn't to the extent Dredd does, but originally Alex Murphy wasn't an especially good cop when he was alive, it wasn't until he died and was recreated as Robocop by OCP that he became a symbol of the law, but really that just enforces the whole cyberpunk feel of the film as Robocop existence is owed to the sort of corrupt and callous individuals who are in their own way are largely responsible for much of the problems society is faced, with their rampant greed and unregulated capitalism, Robocop is a good person but he is forever trapped serving his role as their enforcer of their brand of justice, he owes his very existence to them and it wasn't because of any special destiny he just picked at random.
I just found it an interesting contrast that while Dredd was a brutal and violent fanatic, he did what he did with a strong sense of moral clarity and dedication that he willingly gave up his sense of identity in the name of his ideals, but Robocop who was just this average man who found himself in unfortunate circumstances is now a slave to the commercial interests of OCP, and though he retains some of his humanity he loses it over the course of the films (one of the few good things about the sequels), due to the crippling realization that in reality he isn't Alex Murphy, Alex Murphy is dead, he can never go back to his life, he is just a mutilated carcass kept in a metal casket, forced to forever serve the 'law' during the course of his unlife, and because of this he gradually becomes emotionally dead inside with the only thing sustaining his continued existence being his programming. While Dredd chooses to become a force to the law, Robocop is forced to be its slave, and not really to the law but to the corrupt system of crooked executives who make things this way, and this fact I feel is highlighted best at the end of the original Robocop when Robocop can only execute Dick Jones once he has been fired, he couldn't overcome his programming that prevented him from arresting or harming an OCP employee, and he never will because this program is all that defines his existence.
Anyway as I got to thinking about these two characters I realized that while they seem similar they're actually very different from one another, by the simple fact that Dredd is a human and Robo is a cyborg. Dredd is a fervent believer in the concept of the law, so much so that he could be considered a religious fanatic, he doesn't believe in the system or the people that represent it, but actually believes in the very concept itself, he dedicates himself to it with such zeal that everything else even his own personal identity melts away and he honestly believes himself to be the physical embodiment of the law, as he often states in his catchphrase. Robocop isn't really a law enforcer or a believer, but literally an instrument of the corrupt corporate elites, though some of his personality still exists Robocop is still at his core a machine, his actions aren't dictated by belief or dedication but by his programming, the same programming that makes him enforce THEIR laws and prevents him from taking action against his corporate masters, and while Dredd genuinely represents the law, Robocop is just a tool of a corrupt corporate class who are easily the most criminal and vicious people in the world.
Even more interesting than the contrasts of what they represent I feel are the characters themselves and how they compare with their symbolism. Dredd, even though he believes wholeheartedly in the rule of law, is a brutal, violent fascist, he enforces the law with uncompromising zeal, a strong believer in the righteousness of his cause and he uses to the harshest methods available to enforce his beliefs. Robocop however actually was a good person, and still is to a certain extent, and though he believed in the law he didn't to the extent Dredd does, but originally Alex Murphy wasn't an especially good cop when he was alive, it wasn't until he died and was recreated as Robocop by OCP that he became a symbol of the law, but really that just enforces the whole cyberpunk feel of the film as Robocop existence is owed to the sort of corrupt and callous individuals who are in their own way are largely responsible for much of the problems society is faced, with their rampant greed and unregulated capitalism, Robocop is a good person but he is forever trapped serving his role as their enforcer of their brand of justice, he owes his very existence to them and it wasn't because of any special destiny he just picked at random.
I just found it an interesting contrast that while Dredd was a brutal and violent fanatic, he did what he did with a strong sense of moral clarity and dedication that he willingly gave up his sense of identity in the name of his ideals, but Robocop who was just this average man who found himself in unfortunate circumstances is now a slave to the commercial interests of OCP, and though he retains some of his humanity he loses it over the course of the films (one of the few good things about the sequels), due to the crippling realization that in reality he isn't Alex Murphy, Alex Murphy is dead, he can never go back to his life, he is just a mutilated carcass kept in a metal casket, forced to forever serve the 'law' during the course of his unlife, and because of this he gradually becomes emotionally dead inside with the only thing sustaining his continued existence being his programming. While Dredd chooses to become a force to the law, Robocop is forced to be its slave, and not really to the law but to the corrupt system of crooked executives who make things this way, and this fact I feel is highlighted best at the end of the original Robocop when Robocop can only execute Dick Jones once he has been fired, he couldn't overcome his programming that prevented him from arresting or harming an OCP employee, and he never will because this program is all that defines his existence.
