Presumed Innocent

From Scott Turow's successful novel came this tense drama about a man accused of the rape and murder of a legal colleague with whom he had previously had an affair.

Alan J. Pakula's direction, along with strong performances by Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy and all the other supporting cast, contribute strongly to a film that keeps you guessing until the very end; which by the way, will shock the sox off ya.

This is a thriller that never gets out of hand, or goes over the top. All credit to Alan J. Pakula and Frank Pierson's adaptation. Great down to earth stuff.

Sunday, June 16, 1991 - Video

When Carolyn Polhemus, a young prosecutor employed by the District Attorney of an American city, is found murdered, the job of investigating her murder is given to Rusty Sabich, one of her colleagues and her former lover. The DA, who is shortly coming up for re-election, wants quick results, but Sabich seems to be making slow progress. The DA is defeated in the election, and Sabich finds himself arrested by his successor and charged with the murder. The evidence against him initially seems strong, but more questions emerge during his trial. Is he really guilty? Is someone trying to frame him? If so, who? Was the murder connected to an investigation which Carolyn was pursuing into judicial corruption? Or was it connected to her complex sex life? We learn, through flashbacks, the story of her affair with Sabich and that she was promiscuous, sleeping with a number of influential men who could help her career, including not only Sabich but also the DA himself.

Besides being a legal thriller, "Presumed Innocent" is also a study in contrasts in character- either contrasts between two different persons or between the inner and outer person. Harrison Ford is often good at playing rather stolid individuals who have difficulty in showing their feelings but whose impassive exterior can hide powerful emotions. Norman Spencer in "What Lies Beneath" was one such individual; Sabich is another. Both are men whose life spins out of control after they become involved in extramarital affairs. Fortunately for Sabich, he has someone to take control on his behalf, his smooth and fluent defence lawyer Sandy Stern. Ford and Raul Julia, who plays Stern, form a double act in the second half of the film, both playing their parts very well. Sabich and Stern are both lawyers, but with very different characters and different approaches to the law. Sabich is determined to tell the truth as he sees it; the wily Stern sees the law as a game to be won on behalf of his client rather than a search for truth. If winning involves preventing the truth from emerging, so be it.

There is also a contrast between Sabich and his former lover Carolyn. While he is undemonstrative but inwardly emotional, she is outwardly seductive and flirtatious but inwardly cold-hearted. Both Sabich's wife Barbara, seemingly noble and forgiving, and the judge who tries his case, may have hidden secrets. Raymond Horgan, the DA, initially seems to be a friend of Sabich, but later turns against him when his self-interest dictates.

This concentration on character pays off, raising the film above the run-of-the-mill legal thriller. Contrasts between the various characters, and their inner conflicts, give rise to a gripping courtroom drama, one of the best in recent years. The pace of the film never flagged, and it held my attention throughout. The ending (which I will not reveal) has been criticised as either predictable or implausible. In my view it was perhaps unlikely, but neither completely unbelievable nor inconsistent with what has gone before. I certainly did not predict it. This is a tense and watchable drama. 7/10

Since it's Harrison Ford on trial for the murder of his coworker/mistress, and most everyone loves Harrison Ford, you want to believe he's innocent. But that belief is never a sure thing in "Presumed Innocent": a gripping, suspenseful whodunit that keeps you guessing mercilessly. All the leads here are right on target, especially Ford as the mumbling, elusive murder defendant. Most importantly, all the main players are ambiguous in one way or another, and while I certainly will not give away the ending (which is a beauty, I promise you) keep that in mind as you watch. Can you trust anyone??

The final scene was shocking and thought-provoking. And I couldn't help but think of the title, "Presumed Innocent." Naturally.

I don't know that I've ever seen a "perfect" depiction in a movie as far as how things really work in police investigations and in the courtroom.

Sometimes there are errors so blatant and ridiculous that it ruins the film. But with Presumed Innocent, I was able to quickly overlook things I felt were maybe questionable, because the plot and twists and acting were engaging enough to overcome these minor shortcomings.

Overall, this was an engrossing film which kept me engaged for the entire two hours, and I would recommend it.

This film is just another courtroom drama, where a prosecutor, a fairly ordinary and straightforward fellow, is accused of the brutal death of a colleague with whom, after all, he had had an affair.

The plot starts in a cold way and takes a while to catch our attention, there is really nothing that holds us and the film looks like it is going to suck. But after we enter the courtroom things really start to get interesting. We followed all the lawyers' arguments and the dialogue with the judge, the pace becomes more pleasant and faster and the twists and turns are taking place, endangering the life of that man who, after all, just wished that his wife had not heard of that stab in the marriage.

Harrison Ford is very good when he has to give life to ordinary men but to whom things happen. It is on him that much of the burden of the film falls, depending on his good performance. Beside him, we have a good and discreet Bonnie Bedelia and a sensual Greta Scacchi, with whom the actor gets good sexual chemistry. Raul Julia shone as a lawyer and Paul Winfield also does not do badly in the role of the judge.

Not being a very technical film, it is based mostly on the story it tells, and on the excellent performance of the actors. It may not be one of the court films that has aged better, as it is truly forgotten these days, but it deserves to be seen and appreciated for what it is.