1959 courtroom drama
Rating: 17/20
Plot: A small-town down-on-his-luck attorney takes on a big city lawyer from Lansing as he defends a guy who murdered a man who allegedly raped and killed his wife.
I like Jimmy Stewart more and more the older I get. I love his character here, and I love the lines he's given, and I love his delivery of those lines, and I love how he puts his hands on his love handles. In fact, I'm going to start imitating the latter when I want people to take me seriously. That move, one that kind of gives him these jagged wings, is enough sexy for any movie, but then there's Lee Remick.
Duke Ellington did the score for this. It's great, and so is his cameo as "Pie Eye."
As a fan of courtroom dramas, especially the more unrealistic ones, I thought this was a real treat. This one has less to do with actual evidence and mystery and more to do with how to play a jury. My wife wondered about how controversial it might have been with all the talk about rape and panties.
You gotta give this one more than 17. Its so damn good all the way through. Its fascinating to see one of the greatest proponents of method acting, George C. Scott, play against one of the best natural actors of all time in Jimmy Stewart. Its a compelling and well done movie. What more can you ask for. A 19 from me, all day long.
ReplyDeleteYeah, maybe. It really is great.
ReplyDelete