And Justice for All

It came at the tail end of Al’s legendary 70’s run, and after some of the greatest movies ever made…so it’s easy to overlook this movie, but don‘t I know the courtroom scene gets all the attention, but it shouldn’t - not because it‘s not phenomenal, but because the entire movie builds up to it beautifully  I love Arthur - he‘s such a decent, warm hearted man, full of compassion…who is juxtaposed against the cynical, often cruel, world of the so-called justice system. Al thoroughly deserved his Oscar nod - not just for the big, flashy climax, but for his entire portrayal of a man  fighting the good fight…in a fight he likely can’t win My favorite scene is also one of the most heartbreaking I’ve ever seen.  Arthur confronting his colleague over that man’s casual disregard of his client’s life - well, he’ll get out in 10 months, so it doesn’t really matter- and just his attitude towards these people as transactional is everything I love about Al.  He’s special because he brings such humanity to his roles - he FEELS everything- and his despair & anguish here pour out of his soul. It’s devastating. And we see again and again that life in the system is unfair….that scene where the kid who’s been unfairly jailed is shocking, but by then not a surprise.  Apparently Al rewrite the courtroom scene to make it more realistic for an attorney’s breakdown. Assuming the original script had legalese..I’m glad, because no amount of legal jargon could ever convey the passion and desperation that Arthur felt. Maybe the Judge won’t ever be tried again, but this will hang over him regardless.   That’s the only justice we see in the film…. I adore this movie- I highly recommend it On a lighter note, I love seeing Al and his teacher, Lee Strasberg (again, following Godfather II)