Both director and scriptwriter of this movie were heavily involved in the tremendously successful inspector Derrick TV-series. And it's all there: the heavy handed moralizing, the obnoxious philistines, a short car chase and a little sex (well, hints thereof, rather). Like in the subsequent Derrick episodes the action is well paced and the acting for most parts above average and somehow also above the story content. Hardy Krüger is brilliant and impressive as the wrongly accused youngster, sometimes confused, sometimes talking back, never overacting.
Interesting and weird detail: The main character is the star reporter of a tabloid like Bild- Zeitung (and there is no effort spared to make clear that it is a decent and inspired tabloid). The movie starts with him being part of the reporter crowd during an atom bomb test in the Nevada desert (including extensive archive footage) and his subsequent desire to campaign for the peaceful use of atomic power, sustaining the belief that radio active radiation is good for agriculture ... He then has to do jury duty on the murder case in question and only reluctantly and after some moral berating by colleagues and other involved people redirects his attention away from atomic power.
