…And Justice for All(1979):Film Review
Year: 1979 Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Christine Lahti
Duration: 119 minutes Direction: Norman Jewison
At this point, I would just like to say that what this committee is doing in theory is highly commendable. However, in practice, it sucks… and I’m not going to answer any more questions.
You’re out of order! You’re out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They’re out of order! That man, that sick, crazy, depraved man, raped and beat that woman there, and he’d like to do it again! It’s just a show! It’s a show! It’s “Let’s Make A Deal”! “Let’s Make A Deal”! Hey Frank, you wanna “Make A Deal”? I got an insane judge who likes to beat the shit out of women! Whaddya wanna gimme Frank, 3 weeks probation?
Al Pacino shines in this 70’s courtroom drama, with its share of grit, satire on authority in a post-Vietnam America, the grunge and the filth and ‘scum’(made timeless by Taxi Driver) on the streets and the alleys of power and administration and bureaucracy alike.
Given the Man About Town backdrop, and the predictable Victim of Fate protagonist, the movie is singularly elevated notches above the possible, thanks to Pacino’s thinking and sometimes surprising, sometimes shocking portrayal.
I would give this performance a preference over his Dog Day Afternoon’s Sonny (Attica! Attica!!), in his multi-layered resonance and rich-textured demeanor.
Norman Jewison (Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, In the heat of the Night, The Statement) gives the story his signature storytelling strength on the issues of racial discrimination seen in its prime in In the Heat of The Night.
On Dave Grusin’s (The Fabulous Baker Boys, Tequila Sunrise) score, lesser said the better, except for the theme song, Somethin’ Funny, which makes the last scene the closest to being perfect in a ‘business as usual-show still goes on’ emotion.(something immortalized by Robert Altman-the tragic-comic-farcical-play of situations)
Screen play by Barry Levinson & Valerie Curtin and the editing by John F. Burnett(Grease) is probably their best work.
Camera by Victor J. Kemper(Dog Day Afternoon) is not exceptional but complementary with few streaks of brilliance(the plate-breaking scene with Jay in its POV’s and tracking).
The film scores in delivering an entertaining story in spite of its ‘social commentary’ genre by Jewison, because of its twang or an undercurrent of insanity in all its characters(it might have a philosophical justification too!). All the characters are ‘sadistically’ flawed, and are fun to watch in their eccentricities, be it the suicidal judge, or the manic-depressive lawyer-Jay, a drag queen as a convict, a defendant who loves to chew on the papers of evidence, or the proudly perverted Judge Fleming.
Termed by many as his most underrated performance, Pacino received an Academy nomination for the film; making him the most sought after actor in the late seventies, having delivered class acts in Serpico, The Godfather II & Dog Day Afternoon. It plays the courtroom genre to the hilt, and Pacino pitches his Arthur Kirkland a flawed, compassionate & vulnerable lawyer (I am already a lawyer!) with each facial muscle conveying his deep involvement. Watch him exploding in despair on realization of Agee’s death in custody (Goddamn! Goddamn!), his now on now off chemistry with Gail (a little Scorsese-ian in nature), the chopper sequence with a suicidal Judge Rayford, his indifferent reaction to Judge Fleming (a cold, indifferent metaphor for unapologetic Evil) discoursing on the sanity of law, or possibly the best underplayed scene of them all – a quiet short sequence where he sits in the morning joggers park in an post-action emotion, and starts following the joggers. Riveting. Real. Rewind-worthy.
This is a film worth studying, for its explosive in-your-face, back to back and consistently gritty sequences, bang-on dialogues, and a linear treatment. I never thought I would like the film so much, but now I feel it is worth buying. I would easily give it an 8 on 10.
The biggest achievement of the film would be the feeling it leaves you at the end with-a mix of the acceptance of a flawed system with a digested resentment given its consequences. It does not play the black and white game, you may chose your own favorites. It reiterates that Law is just another profession, way beyond the perfect material for the perfect novel or the perfect caper flick.
Tushar Shukla
Tags: Acting, Direction, Teaching Film-making
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WOW! what a brilliant review!
Aisa review maine zindagi mein kabhi nahi dekha!
sorry, that went a little unexplained…I’m really impressed that you picked this movie out from a crowd of hidden movies
I honestly think this is one of Al’s best performances- often overshadowed by the others
and yeah, I like your style of reviewing, sahi hai- concise, to the point
i love how PFC pretty much rules my netflix queue now :D thanks tushar, for bringing this one to the forefront!
saba, thanks for the shower of generosity! like i said,al was so good that he deserved an oscar for it.
btw, can anyone find out who won the award that year(79)?
striker, you can attribute that to the lack of good holly films lately, it pissed me so much that i ran to my rental place, asked him for his old archives n extracted out some gems, u can expect few more golden oldie reviews from me.
next on my viewing list r scarface n serpico…
i loved scarecrow too
Best Actor@ Oscar 1979
Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer
thanks sirji!