TRIAL BY JURY
US, 1994, 107 minutes, Colour.
Joanne Whalley- Kilmer, Armand Assante, Gabriel Byrne, William Hurt, Kathleen Quinlan, Margaret Ritten, Ed Lauter.
Directed by Heywood Gould.
Trial By Jury is a courtroom drama, focusing on mob bosses being brought to trial. Armand Assante is the mob boss. Gabriel Byrne is the DA. There is a supporting role played by William Hurt, a corrupt policeman who is employed to get in contact with one of the jurors and pressurise her to spoil the jury decision. The juror is played by Joanne Whalley- Kilmer, a single mother, whose little boy is threatened.
The material is quite familiar, in fact Demi Moore appeared in The Juror the next year, a film with a similar plot.
This film has the advantage of a strong cast, stronger writing – and a range of characters playing gangsters, familiar from many of the gangster films and television series. Director Heywood Gould was a writer who was responsible for quite a number of action thrillers including The Boys from Brazil, Fort Apache the Bronx. He directed four films, all concerning trials and corrupt police, One Good Cop, Mistrial and Double Bang.
1. Crime thriller? Court drama? The Mafia?
2. The New York settings, the homes and apartments, the clothing shop? The court and the officers? The Attorney-General’s? office? The countryside? The mansions? The musical score? The classic songs?
3. The plausibility of the plot, juries and witnesses, the threats of the Mafia, violence? Rigging juries? The work of lawyers: law being thwarted? The violence, the individual taking vengeance to free themselves?
4. The focus on Valerie, her age, divorced, her child? Her work in the shop? Her comments about juries, truth and justice, her language of civic duty? Her explanations to her son? Her being called for jury service? The effect, on her boy, his being looked after while she was in the courts?
5. The case, Rusty Pirone, the Mafia boss, his henchmen, connections, the accusations of murder, eleven murders? The preparation for the trial?
6. The prosecution, the witness, the preparation for the trial, the witness murdered?
7. The attorney, Daniel Graham, the preparation for the trial, the effect of the death of the witness? Having to use circumstantial evidence? His confidence in his case, the verdict of the jury?
8. Tommy Vesey, William Hurt and his screen presence, genial, sinister? His background? Former policeman? The fact that he is being paid by Pirone? His confrontation of Valerie, the threat to her son? His being persuasive? The effect on Valerie, his presence, the psychological pressure, her fear for her son?
9. Valerie, the other members of the jury, their personalities, contribution to the discussions? Her behaviour in the jury room? The pressure, her arguments? The desire to survive, protect her son? The effect on her idealism? Her interaction with the group, with individuals, their discussions, the verdict, the acquittal?
10. Pirone, his smugness, confidence? His being set free? The response of his helpers, his thugs?
11. Tommy Vesey, the effect of what he had to do to Valerie? Pirone and his wanting to get rid of Valerie? Her abduction, taken to the country, Vesey coming, rescuing her? His death? His final advice to her to attack Pirone?
12. The melodrama of Valerie’s decisions, her strength of character, her vengeance and vendetta? The icepick, her going to Pirone, flirtatious behaviour, her killing him? The effect on her? The aftermath? Her survival, her son? The transformation of her character and perspective?
13. The range of characters, the witnesses, the judge, the defence lawyer, the members of the jury? A portrait of contemporary crime in America, the difficulties of law and of justice?
