in desperate needs of reeducation in the ways of polite society

[Mike Hussey]

Narrator: With Mickey Cohen in prison, Los Angeles is organized-crime free.

Smith punishing the man:

Smith: The chief wants to keep it that way. Now, in Cleveland, you're an organized-crime associate...in desperate needs of reeducation in the ways of polite society.

Man: I hear things. Like those two-man shooter teams. Bang, bang. They're eighty-sixing Cohen's lieutenants.


What does "in desperate needs of reeducation in the ways of polite society" mean?
Source: L.A. Confidential (a 1997 American neo-noir crime film directed, produced and co-written by Curtis Hanson.)

 

[GoesStation]

In desperate need of re-education is a shorter way to say "desperately in need of re-education". The plural "needs" is an error.

 

[Mike Hussey]

In desperate need of re-education is a shorter way to say "desperately in need of re-education". The plural "needs" is an error.

Who is In desperate need of re-education?

 

[GoesStation]

Who is In desperate need of re-education?

Someone in Cleveland.

 

[Mike Hussey]

Someone in Cleveland.

Who is that someone? can you narrow it down after I made some changes to the question?

 

[GoesStation]

Who is that someone? can you narrow it down after I made some changes to the question?

The narrator might be saying Imagine you're an organized-crime associate in Cleveland. How do you react to the situation?

 

[Mike Hussey]

The narrator might be saying Imagine you're an organized-crime associate in Cleveland. How do you react to the situation?

There are 3 people: narrator, Smith, Man.

 

[Mike Hussey]

Smith says that the man needs to learn how to be a normal person again, and stop being a criminal.
"in desperate need" = very much needs
"re-education" = forget what you learned before and learn something new to replace it
"polite society" = normal living, not criminal

 

[Skrej]

The man being punished by Smith needs re-education. This man is involved in organized crime in Cleveland.