Review of The Accused

The Accused came at a time when attitudes towards sex crimes was very much changing. It is commendable that it is actually so even handed, Jodie Foster's character goes to the police who believe her and their investigation is faultless. After we get into the courts things get trickier, Kelly McGillis DA must balance the demand for a trial with the appeal for a plea bargain which will spare the victim the ordeal and have more certainty of a conviction. Is she right or is she wrong? Once we get to the part where they start to prosecute the other bar patrons for cheering on the rapists you're really placed in a moral quandary, should these men be prosecuted even though they placed no part in the crime? Did they in a dark and noisy bar having been drinking all night even realise what was going on?

Goes without saying that we have terrific performances from Foster and McGillis (whatever happened to her? with this, Top Gun and Witness she was a massive star in 1980s but then just seemed to stop making films altogether?). It's a brave decision in that Foster's character to basically be the DA's nightmare witness, admitting that she was drunk and drugged, had been dressed provocatively and dancing suggestively with her attackers (her strengths are that she has visible injuries and reported the crime immediately). The rape scene itself is horrible (never actually watched it, just fast forwarded through)but necessary to bring home the enormity of the crime.

The ending is pretty downbeat and somehow a little disappointing although what did we expect?

A good film although hard to watch