...And Justice for All. (1979)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Valerie Curtin (written by) &
Barry Levinson (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1979 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

This man needs the best lawyer in town. But the problem is... he is the best lawyer in town.

Plot:

An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial. But if he doesn't do it, the judge will have him disbarred.

Plot Keywords:

Transvestite | Attorney | Assault | Mental Illness | Innocent

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Arthur Kirkland
Jack Warden	...	Judge Francis Rayford
John Forsythe	...	Judge Henry T. Fleming
Lee Strasberg	...	Sam Kirkland
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Jay Porter
Christine Lahti	...	Gail Packer
Sam Levene	...	Arnie
Robert Christian	...	Ralph Agee
Thomas G. Waites	...	Jeff McCullaugh (as Thomas Waites)
Larry Bryggman	...	Warren Fresnell
Dominic Chianese	...	Carl Travers
Craig T. Nelson	...	Frank Bowers
Victor Arnold	...	Leo Fasci
Vincent Beck	...	Officer Leary
Michael Gorrin	...	Elderly Man

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | France:Unrated | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Norway:16 | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The closing courtroom scene was filmed on the first take.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Pacino is having his final rant in court regarding Forsythe, his jacket is open, then buttoned, then opened again without him even attempting to undo the buttons

Quotes:

Arthur Kirkland: When asked what you were doing you said, 'I don't know nothing about that taxi cab robbery'.
Ralph Agee: Now that's true, because I don't.
Arthur Kirkland: How do you know there was one?
Ralph Agee: Mr. Kirkland there's ALWAYS one.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Three's Company: And Justice for Jack (#5.2)" (1980)

Soundtrack:

Something Funny Goin' On

A searing indictment of the legal profession!

And Justice for All is an expose of the corruption, politics, and general crookedness of the legal profession. We are introduced to this unsavory world in the form of Al Pacino's character, Arthur. The movie does a good job of portraying both the human and systemic flaws of the American legal system. While the film works well if it is viewed as a segment of episodes, it suffers if viewed as a whole. Taken together the episodes feel disjointed. Still, And Justice for All is a socially relevant film and the presence of Pacino adds to its appeal. 7/10.