THE CONFESSION

US, 1999, 114 minutes, Colour.
Alec Baldwin, Ben Kingsley, Amy Irving, Jay O. Sanders, Richard Jenkins, Boyd Gaines.
Directed by David Hugh Jones.

The Confession is an arresting drama, focusing on two different stories and bringing them together.

The first concerns Ben Kingsley and his wife, played by Amy Irving, a devout Jewish couple. Their daughter suffers a bout and is hurried to the hospital, to the emergency Ward, only to find that the registrar, the nurse and the doctor, seemingly overworked, make the couple wait in line. The girl dies and the devout Jew decides that he will wreak justice on those who killed his daughter. And he does.

The other story concerns a hotshot lawyer played by Alec Baldwin, smart in court, cultivating connections, especially with big business and politicians. He is asked to take on the Jewish case and, in getting to know the husband and the wife, and with the aid of his investigator who is something of conscience for him, he decides that he will accept the guilty plea by the Jew who wants to be sentenced to prison – but there is a complication because he is the accountant for a firm with corrupt practices, especially for the environment and the water supply for New York City. Those powers that be want the Jew to plead not guilty, and get off the charge by reason of insanity, and therefore not able to testify against them.

The lawyer does the right thing, to his amazement, and for integrity in a corrupt system.

The film was directed by David Hugh Jones, director of comparatively few films but including Robert De Niro in Jackknife.


1. A little-known film? A serious film, moral issues? The strong cast?

2. The American city, the 1990s? Law, corruption, the environment? Ambitions? Deals?

3. Themes of integrity, lack of integrity? Roy and his career, ambitions to be DA, the challenge to his moral stances, the possibility of a change in redemption?

4. The parallel stories at the beginning, Roy and his work on the court, putting pressure on the prosecutor? The corrupt policeman in court, the truth, getting him off? The reasons? The contrast with the story of the Fertig family, Harry and his work, accountant, love to his wife, love his son, devout and prayerful? The two stories coming together?

5. Roy, his age, experience, family background, the influence of his father? The law? In court, the rivalry, the friendship, playing squash together? The pressure on the lawyer, the reasons, political connections, financial connections? Their discussions? The role of the judge in court, friendship with Roy, the affair? His friendship with Cass, his connections? Being introduced to Jack Renoble? The parties, the talk, the influence? Roy and his assistant, getting photographs, compromising photographs of the prosecutor, their being sent, his wife seen them, his physical and moral collapse?

6. Harry and Sarah, Jewish, devout, the scenes of prayer? Accountant and connections? His integrity? Love his child, the long wait – and Sarah’s explanation of IVF attempts for pregnancy? The illness of the boy, the fever, hurrying to the hospital, going to Emergency, the registrar holding the month, sitting with everyone else, the hard attitude of the nurse, of the doctor, their having their smoke break and being accosted by Harry? Going elsewhere, the boy dying?

7. Harry, righteous, the role of the law, vengeance, Jewish tradition? Guilt and responsibility? The visualising of his killing the three victims? Because they did not care? Giving himself up? Sarah and her dismay, the puzzle?

8. Roy and his being attached to the case, the influence of Cass and Renoble, meeting with them? Their wanting a guilty verdict? Discussions with Harry, is not helping his case? His wanting to plead guilty, accepting responsibility? The discussions between Roy and Harry and their effect on Roy? When did Roy’s conversion experience start, why?

9. Roy’s assistant, detective work, in the office, partnership, asking conscience questions, the baptism with whiskey sequence in the bar and its meaning? Is challenging Roy?

10. Sarah, talking, opening up to Roy? The attraction? Roy and women, with the judge? Sleeping with Sarah, her telling Harry, Roy telling Harry?

11. Cass, personality, political and financial connections, callous in his attitude towards people? His advice to Roy? Renoble, finance, his deals, the significance of the case and Harry’s testimony?

12. The challenge to Roy, is assisted in the information? The issue of the pollution of the water, the costs to purify, the nature of the pollution? Buildings and permits?

13. Grenoble and Cass, wanting Harry to plead not guilty, and therefore unable to testify against them in further cases? The links, the paper trail, Harry documents? Their wanting Harry to be judged as having impaired mental capacity?

14. Harry, the attempted suicide, in hospital, his apologies? His life in jail?

15. The judge, Harry in the court, the prosecutor and the objections, the judge being fair, allowing statements Harry, from Roy? The plea of guilty? The short time taken, the sentence?

16. Harry, the sentence, seen it is just? His concern about justice and his child, but his neglecting Sarah?

17. The effect on Roy, a future or not within the legal system, gaining integrity?