Crime of the Century: Leopold & Loeb 1.1 - When Nathan Met Richard
Genre: Crime
Director: Bennett Miller
Writer: Lon Charles
Cast: Alex Wolff, Nick Robinson, Joseph Fiennes, David Schwimmer, Blake Jenner and Virginia Gardner
Plot: 1958. A gray-haired older Nathan Leopold (Joseph Fiennes) sits before the parole board at Stateville Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois. The board asks Leopold how he would plan to conduct himself on the outside world if granted parole. Leopold tells them that he believes he could be a useful member of society. He already knew 15 languages upon his incarceration and has used his 33 years behind bars to master 12 more. Leopold starts listing more of his credentials, like redesigning the prison library, taught classes, learned to be a medical technician, and has prayed to God for forgiveness every day for the past 20 years behind bars. The board asks Leopold to clarify if he is saying he is sorry for the murder of Bobby Franks. Leopold nods his head and says he is sorry for the actions he performed as a much younger man. The board asks him what he intends to do with himself if he is granted parole, and Leopold tells them that he has been offered a job as a medical technician in Puerto Rico at a church hospital. The board asks him to go back to the subject of his remorse, and ask exactly what he is remorseful for.
1923. While attending the University of Chicago for graduate course work, Nathan Leopold (Alex Wolff) spots a childhood acquaintance Richard Loeb (Nick Robinson) across a courtyard. Leopold follows Loeb around for the better part of the day, until Leopold loses Loeb in a crowd. Leopold gives up and sits down on a park bench. Loeb then sits down beside Leopold and asks why he was following him. Leopold tries to claim he was just bird watching around the campus and pulls out an ornithology text book. Loeb says he recognizes Leopold, who reveals that they had an undergraduate class together a few years prior. Loeb starts flipping through the ornithology text while Leopold also reveals that he grew up in the same area as Loeb, Kenwood on the South Side of Chicago. Loeb says he's as big a fan of memory lane as the next person, but he has places to be and people to see. He tosses the book back to Leopold and invites him to a party that night.
Loeb is getting ready for the party at his parents' house. Loeb's brother Allan (Blake Jenner) is home for a break from law school out east. Allan makes fun of the amount of effort Loeb is putting into picking out clothes for a party, commenting that it is something a woman or a queer would do. Their father, Albert Loeb (David Schwimmer) happens by and asks what's so funny. Allan jokes that Loeb is turning queer. Loeb gets mad at his brother and lunges at him, and Albert tells his sons to calm down. He says it would be impossible for any Loeb men to be homosexual anyway, so it's a pointless joke to make.
Prohibition seems to not have affected the upper class of Chicago, as the booze are free flowing at the party when Leopold arrives. He notices Loeb holding court with a group of people gregariously telling them the story of the axe murderer Lizzie Borden. Leopold watches from across the room as Loeb has the entire group waiting on his every word. Leopold fixes himself a drink as Loeb goes into a bit too much detail describing how Borden hacked her father and stepmother to death. The group starts to lose interest, but Leopold lets out a hearty laugh.
As the party starts to die down, a young woman, Peggy (Virginia Gardner), asks Loeb to walk her home. Loeb tells her that he already has plans after the party to go bird watching with Leopold, who is surprised by this comment since he hasn't so much as spoken to Loeb that night. Loeb gives Peggy a kiss on the cheek and tells her to get home safe and that he'll see her in class next week. Peggy puts on her coat and leaves the now sparsely populated party. Loeb looks over at Leopold and asks if he's ready to go.
Leopold and Loeb drunkenly walk down the icy Chicago streets in the middle of the night. They share a bottle of whiskey as they walk. Leopold asks Loeb if he's ever read any of Friedrich Nietzsche's work. Loeb tells Leopold to enlighten him. Leopold tells Loeb that he is particularly fascinated by one idea of Nietzsche's, the concept of "supermen". He goes on to say that a superman is someone who, on account of superior intellect and other qualities, is exempted from the ordinary laws which govern men. These supermen are not liable for anything they may do because they are above the unimportant, average populace. Loeb says he likes the sound of that and suggests they should test it out. Loeb picks up a rock and throws it through the window of a storefront, shattering it. Leopold is startled by the act and asks why Loeb did it. Loeb says he's testing out to see if Leopold is a "superman" or some unimportant, average person. Leopold suggests they get out of the area before any police arrive, but Loeb grabs Leopold by the groin and asks Leopold what he is. Leopold smiles, picks up a stone, and throws it through another storefront window. A light turns on above the store, and Loeb says now is when they should run away.
1923. While attending the University of Chicago for graduate course work, Nathan Leopold (Alex Wolff) spots a childhood acquaintance Richard Loeb (Nick Robinson) across a courtyard. Leopold follows Loeb around for the better part of the day, until Leopold loses Loeb in a crowd. Leopold gives up and sits down on a park bench. Loeb then sits down beside Leopold and asks why he was following him. Leopold tries to claim he was just bird watching around the campus and pulls out an ornithology text book. Loeb says he recognizes Leopold, who reveals that they had an undergraduate class together a few years prior. Loeb starts flipping through the ornithology text while Leopold also reveals that he grew up in the same area as Loeb, Kenwood on the South Side of Chicago. Loeb says he's as big a fan of memory lane as the next person, but he has places to be and people to see. He tosses the book back to Leopold and invites him to a party that night.
Loeb is getting ready for the party at his parents' house. Loeb's brother Allan (Blake Jenner) is home for a break from law school out east. Allan makes fun of the amount of effort Loeb is putting into picking out clothes for a party, commenting that it is something a woman or a queer would do. Their father, Albert Loeb (David Schwimmer) happens by and asks what's so funny. Allan jokes that Loeb is turning queer. Loeb gets mad at his brother and lunges at him, and Albert tells his sons to calm down. He says it would be impossible for any Loeb men to be homosexual anyway, so it's a pointless joke to make.
Prohibition seems to not have affected the upper class of Chicago, as the booze are free flowing at the party when Leopold arrives. He notices Loeb holding court with a group of people gregariously telling them the story of the axe murderer Lizzie Borden. Leopold watches from across the room as Loeb has the entire group waiting on his every word. Leopold fixes himself a drink as Loeb goes into a bit too much detail describing how Borden hacked her father and stepmother to death. The group starts to lose interest, but Leopold lets out a hearty laugh.
As the party starts to die down, a young woman, Peggy (Virginia Gardner), asks Loeb to walk her home. Loeb tells her that he already has plans after the party to go bird watching with Leopold, who is surprised by this comment since he hasn't so much as spoken to Loeb that night. Loeb gives Peggy a kiss on the cheek and tells her to get home safe and that he'll see her in class next week. Peggy puts on her coat and leaves the now sparsely populated party. Loeb looks over at Leopold and asks if he's ready to go.
Leopold and Loeb drunkenly walk down the icy Chicago streets in the middle of the night. They share a bottle of whiskey as they walk. Leopold asks Loeb if he's ever read any of Friedrich Nietzsche's work. Loeb tells Leopold to enlighten him. Leopold tells Loeb that he is particularly fascinated by one idea of Nietzsche's, the concept of "supermen". He goes on to say that a superman is someone who, on account of superior intellect and other qualities, is exempted from the ordinary laws which govern men. These supermen are not liable for anything they may do because they are above the unimportant, average populace. Loeb says he likes the sound of that and suggests they should test it out. Loeb picks up a rock and throws it through the window of a storefront, shattering it. Leopold is startled by the act and asks why Loeb did it. Loeb says he's testing out to see if Leopold is a "superman" or some unimportant, average person. Leopold suggests they get out of the area before any police arrive, but Loeb grabs Leopold by the groin and asks Leopold what he is. Leopold smiles, picks up a stone, and throws it through another storefront window. A light turns on above the store, and Loeb says now is when they should run away.
The main characters, Nick Robinson's Richard Loeb and Alex Wolff's Nathan Leopold are well cast and the supporting cast around them is also competent, albeit overshadowed by the two young leads. Alex Wolff particularly shows off his acting skills in perhaps his best performance to date.
While I have no doubt this series will be worth the watch given the pedigree of those involved, I can't help but feel like this introduction felt a little bland, but that's probably because we still aren't in the heart of the series yet.
Lon Charles and executive producer Bennett Miller are most known for their work inspired from real life events and their experience benefits this series greatly, reminiscent of other miniseries like American Crime Story and that's not a thing to be ashamed of.
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