WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

US, 1957, 116 minutes, Black and White.
Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lancaster, John Williams, Henry Daniell.
Directed by Billy Wilder.

Witness for the Prosecution has excellent ingredients for intelligent popular entertainment. Based on a very successful play by Agatha Christie, the director is Billy Wilder. Wilder is noted for his sardonic comedies and dramas e.g. Sunset Boulevard, The Big Carnival, Stalag 17 and others in the 50's, The Apartment, Irma La Douce, and The Fortune Cookie, in the 60s. Avanti and The Front Page in the 70s.

He does not indulge his sardonic attitudes here but presents Agatha Christie's court drama fairly straightforwardly but with comic ironies. Charles Laughton is superb as the judge. Marlene Dietrich is very effective in the ambiguous central role. Tyrone Power is an excellent choice for this kind of hero, especially with the ambiguous ending. There is effective support, especially from Elsa Lancaster (Laughton's wife) who received an Oscar nomination for her role. Witness for the Prosecution is murder mystery material at its intelligent best.

1. In what does the appeal of this film consist: the court sequences? Murder mystery? The dialogue etc.? The personalities in the film?

2. Was this a typical Agatha Christie murder mystery or was it a real life story? How realistic was it, far-fetched? Why?

3. How well did the film deal with the theme of truth and falsity; appearances and reality? How did it probe questions of justice? How did it invoke audience sympathies and play with them?

4. Why are films about trials and court-cases always interesting? Is it the situation? Is it the skill of wits and the trial?

5. How important was the opening of this film? The humour of Sir Wilfred and Miss Plimsoll? Why was this enjoyable? How did it create atmosphere for the film and for the characters?

6. How did the screen-play introduce the murder case into this humorous atmosphere? The arrival of Mayhew, the solicitor? His presentation of Vole? The case of Mr. Brogan-Moore? What did these two men contribute to the atmosphere of the trial and of the film?

7. What were your first impressions of Leonard Vole? Did you believe that he was telling the truth? In view of the ending how well did the acting confuse the audience and Sir Wilfred and the others? Comment on Sir Wilfred's astuteness and his attempts to get the truth? e.g. with the reflection from his monocle? How important were the flashbacks to give an impression of Vole and make him sympathetic?

8. What were your first impressions of Christine? How did the screenplay present her as unsympathetic and hard? Sir Wilfred's use of his monocle with her? In view of the ending, how well did the acting and the screenplay conceal the truth? Were you glad that Sir Wilfred had taken on the defence?

9. How well-filmed was the trial? Did the film create the atmosphere of alertness and tenseness in the trial? Audience sympathy with Vole? Our identification in part with Sir Wilfred because of his health? Miss Plimsoll and Carter and their attendance on Sir Wilfred? The enigmatic girl near Miss Plimsoll in the gallery? The role of the prosecutor and his trying to get all the advantages in this case etc.? Vole in the witness box? How important were the witnesses? How impressive was the cross-examination? The role of Janet McKenzie? The humour and the irony of the testimony? The fact that she had lost so much?

10. How did the film show that a trial is an ordeal? Its psychological effects on Vole? The sequences outside the court-room, especially in anguish about Christine's testifying?

11. How important was the flashback about Hamburg and the marriage? Was this well filmed and convincing? Did it alter the atmosphere of the film when it came? Changing the mood of the court trial?

12. Did you find the sequence about the letters convincing? Were you tricked? Was Christine's behaviour credible?

13. How much sympathy did you have for Christine in each of her appearances at the trial? When she testified severely against her husband? When she was broken down at the end? How important was this for the final revealing of the truth?

14. were you surprised at the truth? At the change of character in Vole? His behaviour towards Christine? Towards Sir Wilfred? The effect of the truth on Sir Wilfred? His suspicions towards the end? After all this effort, what had happened to him?

15. Was the ending and the killing too melodramatic? Did it fit in with the atmosphere of the film? Was it well prepared for? How?

16. The importance of Sir Wilfred saying that Christine had executed Leonard? Did you believe this? In British justice? Was anything else possible? Why did Sir Wilfred stay to defend her? Would he succeed?

17. Comment on the structure of the film with the use of flashbacks, the wit and the dialogue, the blending of serious drama and comedy etc.? How successful was this film compared with other court films that you have seen?