PRESUMED INNOCENT
US, 1990, 127 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia, Greta Scacchi, Bonnie Bedelia, Paul Winfield.
Directed by Alan J.Pakula.
Presumed Innocent is based on the bestseller by lawyer Scott Turow. This is a film of adult entertainment in the true sense. Neatly written by Frank Pierson (Cool Hand Luke, A Star Is Born) and director Alan J. Pakula (Sophie's Choice, All the President's Men), it is an absorbing blend of murder mystery (no solution until the last moments) and police investigation/courtroom drama.
Harrison Ford is low-key intense as the lawyer accused of murder. Greta Scacchi is alluring as the murdered woman, glamorous, ambitious. The rest of the cast is top-drawer: Raul Julia as the defence lawyer, Bonnie Bedelia as the wife, Brian Dennehy as the lawyer, Paul Winfield as the judge.
The film raises all kinds of questions of law, justice, relationships. It is absorbing entertainment.
1.The impact of this version of a novel? The reputation of the novel? Dramatising the novel?
2.The use of Detroit locations for the city, homes, offices, ferries, the courts? The mood? The musical score?
3.How successful was the film as a murder mystery: the events, clues, investigation, puzzle, solution?
4.The film as a picture of the administration of American law, justice, cover-ups, politics?
5.The film as an exploration of relationships, marital relationships, affairs, obsessions?
6.The introduction with Rusty Sabitch speaking about the law and its administration, the visuals of the courtroom, empty, the jurors' chairs? Reflections on justice, justice being done, being seen to be done?
7.Audience knowledge of law and judicial processes? The explanations given throughout the film? Offering more authenticity?
8.Harrison Ford as Rusty Sabitch: seeing him at work and his thoroughness, reputation? At home and his relationship with Barbara, loving, absentminded, the aftermath of the affair? His pride in his son? His work with Raymond, the news about Caroline's death, the political situation and the election, his heading the investigation, the detectives working with him? Lipz and his collaboration and assistance? The routines of investigation, Rusty's absentmindedness and forgetting, the issue of the glass with the fingerprints, neglecting phone calls to laboratories? The build-up of circumstantial evidence? The use of the evidence against him? Caroline's dead body, the room, the reconstruction of what had happened, the assault, clues?
9.The significance of the flashbacks: Greta Scacchi and her brief appearances as Caroline, her ambitions, sexual allurement, seduction? As a person, at work, her ambitions, the blend of compassion? The abused child, her using the child in the courtroom, appealing for Rusty's assistance, rehearsing the child, the courtroom sequence, the child and its fear of its mother, looking across to the mother, Caroline's shrewdness in eliciting the right answers, the success and winning? Her affair with Rusty, the sensuality? His not moving in the direction she wanted? Her change of attitude, the break-up, telling him to grow up? Her using people, her death? The irony of the relationships? With Raymond? With the judge? The irony of the identity of them killer? Her funeral - and the crowds paying their respects?
10.Rusty and his obsession, its effect on him? His relationship with Raymond, whether to conceal the truth or not? The computer, the file B investigation? Interrogating Raymond, using the file B? Further investigations in police headquarters? Raymond and his impatience?
11.The political rivalry? Raymond and his ambitions for re election? His rival and the campaign? Molto and his defecting from Raymond's camp? Assisting in the prosecution? The Japanese doctor, the post-mortem, the autopsy information? His supplying information to Raymond's rival?
12.The build-up of circumstantial evidence, the police coming to arrest Rusty at home? The questions? Bail? Rusty getting Sandy as his lawyer, Sandy and his assistant? Their discussions, the questions, support? Barbara and her continued support?
13.The court sequences, the speeches, the prosecutor and the defence, the use of evidence? The significance of the glass and the fingerprints? Its absence? The prosecution unable to find it? The irony of Lipz having the glass (and Rusty throwing it into the water)? The file B information, tracking down the accused, the question of the bribe - and the irony that it was paid to the judge? Raymond and his knowledge of all of this? Raymond in court, his lies, his being exposed by the defence lawyer? The break of friendship with Rusty? Barbara and her willingness to testify? Sandy using the situation to advantage?
14.The build-up to the acquittal, Rusty and the experience of the court, the acquittal? Barbara's support - not asking questions? Sandy and his personality, career? Previous clashes with Rusty? Supporting him, believing him? The use of file B? Approaching the judge? Blackmailing the judge? Justice being done?
15.The portrait of the judge, his background, at Caroline's funeral, the bribes, his personal collapse, rehabilitation? Sitting on the bench? The interrogation of the black offender about file B and the knowledge of the truth?
16.The relationship between Rusty and Barbara, Nat and the difficult situation, going to the camp? Barbara and her career, taking 10 years to do the dissertation? The happy meal with the family together? Rebuilding the relationship with Rusty? Her going for the interview for the job?
17.Rusty at work, the discovery of the hammer with the blood and the hair, Barbara's arrival in the basement, getting the job, the confession, the explanation of how she did it, using the knowledge that she had received from Rusty about law processes and evidence?
18.Rusty and his final decisions, the reasons for staying together, love for his son? The right decision? In a court of law - the possibility of a wife being tried for the same crime?
19.The blend of law, justice, compassion, ambitions, relationships, and the psychological blend?
