The pandemic has forced us all indoors, and the best way to avoid the piling house work is to curl up in front of the television. We are surely spoilt for content, and sometimes it is hard to pick up what to watch from the new releases every week. Sometimes it’s easier to just re-watch an old classic.
The 1957 movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s short story “Witness for the Prosecution” ends with the following message before the credits roll:
“The management of this theatre suggests that for the greater entertainment of your friends who have not yet seen the picture, you will not divulge, to anyone, the secret of the ending of Witness for the Prosecution.”
Even though over 50 years have passed since the release of the movie, I will try to adhere to the request to not ruin the movie for people who haven’t seen it yet..
Witness in Prosecution is an old-school courtroom drama, based in London, where for reasons I cannot almost every other person speaks with an American accent. Sir Wilfred Robarts (Charles Laughton), barrister in His Majesty’s court, is just recovering from a heart attack when he is requested to prove the innocence of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power).
Vole has been accused of murdering a rich widow, Mrs. Emily French, and the circumstantial evidence against him is significant. His wife abandons him on his arrest and the man is completely at despair.
Surrounded by a fretting nurse, Sir Robarts dives into the investigation because he sincerely believes in his client’s innocence. What follows is an hour long riveting courtroom drama that keeps you hooked up with its unending twists and turns.
Directed by the Academy Award-winning Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) the movie has his stamp all over it. It’s shot primarily indoors with heavily character driven performances. The dialog is sharp and exceedingly witty.
Source: IMDB.com
Laughton is immensely likable as the worldly wise but slightly petulant barrister. The star of the movie is Marlene Dietrich, with her enigmatic, compelling performance as the cold and calculating wife. A good bout of levity is added by Elsa Lanchester, who plays the barrister’s strict-barrister’s strict –to-the-point-of-annoying nurse. Her Academy-nominated performance brings all the laughs in the movie.
Tyrone Power will be remembered for his troubled, beguiling performance as the wronged man. Sadly, this was Power’s last film before he died of a heart attack at the young age of 44.
Great pacing and edge-of-the-seat suspense will make the two hours fly by. In a world where our entertainment experience is increasingly being dominated by fantasy, action and larger than life special effects, it’s nice to lose oneself in a human drama of smaller scale.
6 comments
My Lord, I must protest –
not everyone spoke with an American accent –
certainly not the head judge-
not Sir Wilfred’s solicitor Brogan-Moore, and not the Nurse Janet (Uma O’Connor). Not even Torin Thatcher.
Aside from that, this was a fine review – thanks.
jmm
JMM – thanks for dropping by and yes in all fairness you are correct. However , when the movie started everyone in the opening frames seemed to be in American accent and I think I stopped paying attention after that. But I have updated my post to say ‘almost’ everyone 😉
Thanks for the feedback.
I think I have finished watching almost all of AC’s Poirot & Miss Marple.
I am going to watch this after reading your review.
@Prasenjeet – Oh I love the Poirot series too. This is actually an American movie based one of her short stories. You should check out..its very good
Well reviewed. You didn’t mention the funny dialogue exchanges and repartee’s throughout the movie. Although, that can be attributed to British humor and thus expected, but the dialogues were fun.
@Kapil – thanks for your comment. I did talk about the witty dialogues but yes the movie was quite full of it . It was very funny