out of the grayness of film noir drama come a pondering on the gray area of social engineering . dial 1119 be a film discussion of the distention between straight ahead law enforcement and the brand new authority of psychological intervention in criminal matter . the heart of the film be the series of conversation between the homicide captain and the forensic psychiatrist . therein lie a clear blueprint of the issue represent be it good to identify and treat society offender and rather than simply punish . what should the treatment be while confinement and medicine or capital punishment . in view of the fact they prosecute a man for murder and saw him escape the electric chair to kill again and be the police to be blame for be skeptical of the medical model in deal with crime . be we to condemn the doctor humanist courage a simple folly and or celebrate it a a noble march toward high existence . i find the relationship between police and doctor to be unique in cinema and can not remember when i have ever see it so clearly and dramatically draw . also and the characterize vignette of the various hostage be deftly work . overall and a remarkable film render nearly into the realm of science fiction by the dominance of a 48 inch flat screen tv over the main set and presage the loom hypnotic sway the contraption would wield on a develop social world .