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- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsHarrison FordRaul JuliaGreta ScacchiAs a lawyer investigates the murder of a colleague, he finds himself more connected to the crime than anyone else.03-05-2021
There is a generally accepted view amongst Americans that their judicial system is a perfect system, just and balanced, which, with its infinite hindsight, punishes the guilty and rewards the innocent. “Presumed Innocent” challenges that conception by portraying it as a kind of a verdict assembly line that relentlessly ploughs forward once it locks down on its target. In this case, the target is ADA Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), accused of the murder of his former mistress, the ambitious and promiscuous Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi). Once placed in the judicial machine, the circumstantial evidence begins surely piling up against him – a late-night phone call here, a fingerprint there – until the titular presumption of innocence becomes nothing more than courtesy and the guilty verdict seems guaranteed.
But this is not "The Fugitive" and Rusty Sabich is far from a loveable victim of a systemic oversight. A philandering office dweller with a penchant for grandiose speeches about ideals and justice, he is just as willing to conceal evidence, bend the facts, and conceal the truth to his own aims. When informed by his police officer friend Lipranzer (John Spencer) that Carolyn's phone records show frequent calls from his home number, he asks him to suppress it. In flashbacks, we watch the progression of his relationship with Carolyn. After he proves too unambitious and conformist for her liking, she dumps him. He becomes clingy and aggressive. "What is it you want from me," she asks him after he barges into her office late one night. "What do I have to do," he asks. "Grow up," she replies. For once in a thriller, here we have a character we could easily believe did actually commit the murder he's accused of.
So why don't we? Essentially, because as weasely and childish as Sabich is, everyone who surrounds him is just as or more corrupt. The DA's office is portrayed as a snake pit in which convictions are won or lost as a matter of political points. In the end, it becomes obvious that Sabich is being prosecuted as a scapegoat for his unfailing loyalty to his friend and mentor, the former DA Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy) which his replacement doesn't take very kindly to. What betrayal of Shakespearian proportions occurs then when Horgan becomes a witness in Rusty's trial - on the prosecution's side. In the world of "Presumed Innocent" friendships, love affairs, marriages mean nothing in the face of personal ambition or good old payback.
The film is directed by Alan J. Pakula, a dab hand at films about corruption at the highest levels. He brings his usual meticulousness to the film. Every tiniest detail is perfectly imagined and presented. See, for instance, the production design. The cluttered desks of the ADAs and the coroner. Papers sticking out of every drawer. The crumbling walls in the rat-infested police station. This is a world rotting from the inside, a dilapidating arena where self-serving vultures battle to the death. The costumes and make-up are also superbly detailed. Look at the prosecuting attorney, the preppy and sleazy Tommy Molto (Joe Grifasi) in his size-too-small vest, with his tie sticking out from under it messily. Look at the new DA (Tom Mardirosian) with his cheap toupee. Or Rusty Sabich himself with his boyish crew-cut which speaks volumes about the man.
Pakula also gives the film an understated tone, a gloomy, claustrophobic atmosphere gained from setting nearly the entirety of the film in wood-panelled courtrooms and crumbling public offices. "Presumed Innocent" is a distinctly low-key affair lacking in conventional suspense. There are no grandiose confessions, action scenes, or even the Perry Mason-esque word battles you'd expect from a courtroom drama. Instead, it builds its atmosphere on a growing sense of hopelessness achieved by slowly unravelling each and every one of its characters as either corrupt or fatally flawed. Its suspense hangs on that Kafkaesque fear so often exploited by Hitchcock of a being falsely accused in a world of crooked bureaucrats. No one much cares for justice here, just political points.
Harrison Ford does an excellent job playing an uncharacteristically unlikeable character. Affecting a schoolboyish arrogance and a whiny manner, he is utterly convincing as a man who never grew up. By his side is his long-suffering wife played in a touching and relatable manner by Bonnie Bedelia in a career-best performance. I was impressed by the psychological depths she manages to reach with so little material to work with. In the courtroom, Sabich is represented by Sandy Stern, a fancy defence attorney essayed by Raul Julia with his usual grace and charisma. He brings, with apparent ease, a commanding presence to his scenes and, like Bedelia, manages to make a fascinating character out of the few scenes he's in.
I was most taken by Paul Winfield, however, as the witty judge from the hood. He brings a much-needed sense of humour and humanity into the film and provides us with several surprising but welcome laugh-out-loud moments. Similarly, Joe Grifasi and Tom Mardirosian show up as the prosecution team who should probably reconsider their career choices and become a comedic duo. Finally, John Spencer is an always welcome presence as probably Sabich's only real friend, a sardonic cop, loyal to a fault.
I was less impressed with Brian Dennehy and Greta Scacchi. To be fair, they offer reliable support but fail to make anything distinguishable of their characters. Scacchi, in particular, fails to portray the complexities of her character who at the same time is a caring, idealistic lawyer and a shamelessly ambitious bed hopper. Scacchi is only ever convincing as the latter. In any other film, I could easily say she did the best with the little screen time she was given but when you see Julia and Bedelia turn their few minutes on-screen into sheer acting gold, such a defence would inevitably fall flat.
Behind the camera is the great Gordon Willis who with his trademark deep blacks and strong contrasts makes the film looks exceptional. It's eye-catching without ever being stylised or intrusive and confirms my belief that Willis is the greatest American cinematographer of all time. John Williams provides a melodic, hypnotically repetitious piano score reminiscent of his excellent work on the films by Oliver Stone.
"Presumed Innocent" is a memorable and disturbing thriller. It does occasionally fall victim to its gloomy atmosphere and low-key direction by dragging, especially in its elongated courtroom scenes, but its intriguing script, openly cynical attitude, and first-rate cast and crew make it a worthy experience. I was especially impressed by its finale which consists of nothing more than a lengthy close-up on a superb actor but explodes like a bomb. It is the shocking and emotionally devastating conclusion a film like this needs and provides the deathly blow to the final shards of optimism you might still be harbouring.
3.5/4