Schrei nach Gerechtigkeit

Robert Preston portrays a grief-stricken dad who kills the man who raped and murdered his daughter. Beau Bridges is the lawyer who defends the man's actions in court. This film raises some deep issues about the justice system. It especially questions the notion that criminals seem to have more rights than victims and their families.

Great movie! It really makes one think about how the Justice system really does work. Great story and performances by all, especially by Beau Bridges. See it!

For those who crave for this kind of stuff - I do not - that's a pretty good story, strongly held, and very daring against the penal system in the USA. In France, we would not be so courageous. And I agree with another comment, in which it is said that Robert Preston is maybe not the real lead of this movie. Beau Bridges brings maybe one of his best performances ever. But Bob Preston, in his last role, is very good too, and Mel Ferre too. And I also want to add something, in the scene at the beginning, where Bob Preston shoots and kills the Black man responsible for his daughter's death, watch out the way he holds his gun and his body with legs bent. For a common law abiding citizen; I think he looks like an elite cop, as we always see in crime movies or series. I also guess that the producers and other film maker should have paid attention to this kind of details. It is clumsy for the production not to ask Preston TO BE CLUMSY, sweet irony isn't it? It is clumsy to show a poor common American to behave like an elite cop, clumsy if you compare with the exceptional quality of the rest of this awesome piece of work. That's my own opinion.

This is a film that makes us realize there is sometimes a difference between justice and the law. Robert Preston shines as the grief-stricken father, who, after a miscarriage of justice, takes matters into his own hands, and is put on trial for it. Beau Bridges, as his attorney, realizes there's something to the fight Preson is making. Mel Ferrer, as the judge who had to let a criminal go, is outstanding. His conscience bothers him, but he abides by the law he's sworn to protect. And Burgess Meredith is a crusty as ever. Some great old pros in this one.If this film doesn't make you think, you need to watch it again.

Robert Preston's farewell performance is in this fine made for TV movie Outrage! If you watch this film outrage is exactly what you will feel.

The film opens with Preston buying 38 caliber pistol after being assured it will 'do the job' in a state with less stringent gun control laws then coming back to New York City and after tracking him down, emptying the pistol into the body of Stan Haze who got off on a technicality after raping and killing Preston's daughter Susan Mackin who is only seen in flashback.

After committing this act Preston walks into a police station and gives himself up and waives counsel and makes a full statement as to what he did and why.

Judge Burgess Meredith in a move who truly regrets asks young attorney Beau Bridges recently of the DA's office to take the case and defend Preston. A lawyer is supposed to defend his client zealously, but not quite as zealously as Bridges does when he put the system on trial itself.

Preston is a truly broken man, he's got one surviving child, a son who became a priest and lives and works in a remote part of South America, one son killed in Vietnam and this daughter who died. His wife Selma Archerd dies shortly after the dismissal of charges in the daughter's case. Preston feels he's got nothing to live for. Makes him a truly dangerous man to one he hates.

Purportedly the object of our legal system is justice. Justice went quite a bit awry here. When Bridges questions the whole system that led to this Outrage! he walks on the fighting side of Burgess Meredith.

Colleagues do stick together and the 'system' is what these guys live by. And as Meredith says after many contempt citations judges have long memories. His colleague on the original rape case is played by Mel Ferrer. For his defense strategy Bridges borrows from what Clarence Darrow did to William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Some good performances come from Linda Purl as Bridges wife and big breadwinner in the family at this point, William Allen Young as the Assistant District Attorney, and most of all from Anthony Newley.

Newley is one of those bottom feeding agents who wants the rights to Preston's and Bridges story. He's already spending his agent's commission on book and movie rights to be. He's loathsome, but he might prove necessary for the future.

This is one outstanding made for TV film and as good a one for Preston to go out on as The Shootist for John Wayne and The Misfits for Clark Gable.