Being a victim doesn't mean you are not also an abuser. Not all victims become abusers. We all live with the same fucked up system, but we don't all fall down. We don't all turn to violence and self-righteousness. Douglas was the fucking bad guy. Try watching it from his wife's point of view.

At the time of its release, Douglas's father, actor Kirk Douglas, declared: "He played it brilliantly. I think it is his best piece of work to date."[26] He also defended the film against critics who claimed that it glorifies lawbreaking: "Michael's character is not the 'hero' or 'newest urban icon'. He is the villain and the victim. Of course, we see many elements of our society that contributed to his madness. We even pity him. But the movie never condones his actions."

If you see something to be emulated or respected, you might just be fucked in the head.

I didn't see that part ;)