CRIMINAL LAW

US, 1988, 117 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Karen Young, Tess Harper, Joe Don Baker.
Directed by Martin Campbell.

Criminal Law has a basically straightforward plot: an ambitious lawyer, a guilty defendant who disgusts his lawyer, serial murders, investigations, a change of heart on the part of the lawyer and an attempt to condemn his client.

However, the film is much stronger because of the characterisation of the lawyer by Gary Oldman. Oldman gives another powerfully eccentric performance after being Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy, Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears, the eccentric vagrant in Track 29.

The film focuses on the character of the lawyer and Oldman gives a powerful interpretation, at times so intense as to be almost over the top. This tends to give the film something of a ludicrous tone - the audience finding it too much. However, it is an intense look at the conscience of a lawyer, the role of justice and the law. especially in defending the guilty.

Kevin Bacon is smooth and sinister as the serial killer. Tess Harper and Joe Don Baker are tough police. Karen Young is attractive as the friend of one of the victims.

There is a fair amount of suspense, and a tense ending - but always with the danger of the film being so strong as to elicit laughter rather than fear from its audience. A powerful oddity.

1. Law and justice, the courts, clients, their rights? Lawyers' motivations?

2. The Boston setting, the American city?

3. The title and its application? Criminal law and prosecutors and defenders? The consequences of defending, especially the guilty? The right of the defendant for the lawyer to do the best job? Acquittal and consequences for the public? Justice and the consequences?

4. The initial quotation from Nietzsche: the prosecution of monsters and beware becoming a monster? Looking into the abyss and the abyss looks back? As applied to Ben Chase?

5. Gary Oldman's intense portrait of Ben Chase: the close-up-in the court, Ben and his appeal to the jury, the clarity of the glass of water, the drapes? Bringing in the photo and the condemnation of eyewitness justice? The effect on the jury? The prosecutor? Jean and her presence in the court? Martin and his being free? Ben's celebration, drinking, bringing home the giant photo which caused the acquittal? Seeing him at his work, his associates, their ambitions? His making the dinner, the TV information about the next murder? Martin ringing, making the appointment? Ben keeping the appointment, the driving rain, the search for Martin? The sudden finding of the mutilated corpse, the grim effect, his running through the rain, his intense screaming? (Persuasive for the audience to understand his change of heart and feelings?) Finding Ellen, knocking on the door, the phone? The interrogation by the police inspector at the scene of the crime? Martin's phone call, retaining Ben as his lawyer, the money? Ben and his integrity? Visiting the professor in the library, their exchanging quotations, listening to his wisdom? the discussion with Jean about bringing Martin down? Ellen's arrival, her anger? His explaining the plan, his motivation? His talks with Martin, reaction? Visiting the yacht? Trying to understand him? Visiting his mother, exploring the house, the closet? The rotunda and the tunnel to Martin's closet? Telling him, Martin burning it down? Going to the island, discussion, the blow-torch, listening to Martin, the temptation to kill him? The abortion clue? The prosecution and the search of Mrs Thiel's files? Ellen, her search, finding the files? Ben, Martin following her?

6. The fight and Ben's saving her? Their intimate relationship, the violent sexual encounter, Ben seeing Martin's face on Ellen? The build-up to the confrontation, the visit to the dying professor, his long speech about justice and the law being its shadow, Ben weeping? The bargain with the inspector and Jenny? The tape, the risk? Finding Martin in the court, his being taken as hostage? The bonds between the two and the identification, Ben as Martin's only friend after the death of his mother? Martin taunting Ben to shoot him, his inability, shooting above Martin? Martin's death, his exit into the corridor? His future? The portrait of the lawyer?

7. The professor, his quotations, his dying, wisdom, law as the shadow of justice, applying this to Ben's situation?

8. Martin as the attractive young man, wealthy, in the court, acquitted, with his mother? His wealth, the yacht, the next murder? The phone call, the appointment? The closet, the rotunda? Offering the money to Ben? Burning the rotunda? On the island, the confrontation with Ben? His relationship with his mother, his sensing her former rejection, that she should have aborted him? His knowledge of the file, following Ellen, the physicality of their fight? His confrontation with his mother, burning her? The planning of the rendezvous, the shooting of the police inspector, the only bond now with Ben, the taunting of Ben, to shoot him?

9. Ellen, the first encounter with Ben, the phone, her anger in his office, attracted, the violence of their lovemaking? His questions about Janet's abortion? The discovery of the files, the violence of the fight with Martin?

10. Jean and her work, disgust with Ben, the deal, the final deal, the shooting of the inspector, her holding the gun on Martin, killing him?

11. The police inspector, his scepticism, his work, warning about Martin, the irony of his death?

12. Martin's mother, wealthy, separated from the husband? her profession, her relationship with her son, seeing her at work? Martin and his confrontation, accusing her of killing children, his burning her?

13. The police work, the opening credits with the murders in the rain, the police and their investigations? The ugliness involved in investigation?

14. The world of the law, prosecution, defence, devices, juries?

15. The theme of abortion: the stance of the film, Martin's attitude towards his mother killing children, towards the mothers who allow their children to be killed, killing them through vengeance?

16. The intensity of the film - the touch of the ludicrous in so much seriousness?