How in the world would anyone think that it’s a good idea to sit down and speak to someone like Ted Bundy? In this movie, No Man of God, Elijah Wood plays the part of FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier, one of the few people that spoke to Bundy and received and an in-depth idea of the things that Bundy did and what kind of crimes he was guilty of. Trying to dip into the mind of a serial killer is something that many people would shy away from simply because the idea is that madness is the only result that anyone can see happening if the average person were to take such a mental trip. The unfortunate truth is that not all killers are crazy in the traditional sense considering that what they do takes planning, abstract thinking, and a great deal of rational thought. Being the type of berserker crazy that some people might think that killers such as Bundy represent is far easier to deal with on a lot of levels. Someone like Bundy, who planned his abductions and kills, makes things so much harder in terms of trying to understand his motivation, his reasoning, and the overall justification that his mind came up with for performing such horrid acts.
Some might even go so far as to say that making a movie about it is less than admirable since once again it solidifies the idea that people are attracted to violence, to drama, and to the morbid things that humans do to one another. As a storyteller, I’ll admit that such a thing is in fact quite disturbing, repellent, and intriguing at the same time. There is an idea that many, if not all writers follow without knowing about it. Everything is allowed, nothing is taboo, and the story encompasses everything. It’s an odd path to follow since it branches each time a new thought occurs, but at the same time, it allows for the idea that everything is up for grabs, no matter how odd, awkward, or horrible it might appear to be.
The families of the victims that Bundy claimed during his spree wanted answers. They wanted to know why they lost their loved ones, and they wanted it to make sense. The problem is that as measured and methodical as Bundy was in his acts, his reasoning was less than helpful to anyone since like it or not, there are human beings out there who will seek to burn the world down in their own way, simply because they can. Killers such as Bundy remind us that being human is a mess of feelings, emotions, rational and irrational alike. It’s a madness that grips a person in a way that doesn’t let go, that sticks like sap once it’s touched upon. That analogy might be weak to some, but perhaps pitch, or tar, or something equally difficult to shrug off would be better, since Bundy was a stain on the world at one point, no matter what might have happened to him when he was young. Choice is still possible once a person reaches their adult years, and no matter what happens to us as kids, we have a choice when it comes to reacting to the world when we grow older.
Bundy made his choice, and Bill Hagmaier likely heard all about it in the 200 hours they spent getting to know one another. It’s been said that Bill regretted the time that he spent with Bundy, getting to know him so that he could understand him. Many wouldn’t even be able to go that far, if only because they would find that it might tear them apart inside if they so much as tried to figure out a man like Bundy. People might think that sounds melodramatic and perhaps keeps in line with promoting the movie, but the truth is that if one could experience this type of calculated evil without losing themselves then the person is either insanely strong when it comes to their mental fortitude or, Bill might have needed a long, long time to recover. In any case, trying to sit down with someone like Bundy and remain calm feels like an endurance trial that many people would fail.
Considering that this is a dramatization of the meetings between Bill and Bundy, it’s likely that there will be a few moments here and there that might be designed for the screen and could be less than accurate. But one thing is clear, and that’s the fact that people are attracted to moments in history such as this, no matter how morbid or macabre it might appear to be. It’s definitely worth watching, but with the understanding that the man being highlighted is long dead, and no longer a threat. It’s small comfort no doubt, but it’s the truth.
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