...and justice for all.
Tags: dramatic, mystery, satire

Plot synopsis:
Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino), a defense attorney in Baltimore, is in jail on a contempt of court charge after punching Judge Henry T. Fleming (John Forsythe) while arguing the case of Jeff McCullaugh (Thomas G. Waites). McCullagh was stopped for a minor traffic offence, but then mistaken for a killer of the same name and has already spent a year and a half in jail; Fleming has repeatedly stymied Kirkland's efforts to have the case reviewed. Though there is strong new evidence that Jeff is innocent, Fleming refuses McCullaugh's appeal due to its late submission and leaves him in prison. After being released, Arthur takes another case, that of a transgender Ralph Agee (Robert Christian), arrested for small crime and becoming a victim of the legal system.
Arthur pays regular visits to his grandfather Sam (Lee Strasberg) in a nursing home, who is progressively becoming senile. It is revealed that Arthur was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and it was Sam who raised him and put him through law school. Arthur also begins a romance with a legal ethics committee member, Gail Packer (Christine Lahti). Arthur has a friendly relationship with Judge Francis Rayford (Jack Warden), who takes him on a hair-raising ride in his personal helicopter, laughing as he tests how far they can possibly go without running out of fuel, while a terrified Arthur begs him to land. Rayford, a veteran of the Korean War, is borderline suicidal and keeps a rifle in his chambers at the courthouse, a 1911 pistol in his shoulder holster at all times, and eats his lunch on the ledge outside his office window, four stories up.
One day, Arthur is unexpectedly requested to defend Fleming, who has been accused of brutally assaulting and raping a young woman. As the two loathe each other, Fleming feels that having the person who publicly hates him argue his innocence will be to his advantage. Fleming blackmails Kirkland with an old violation of lawyer-client confidentiality, for which Arthur will likely be disbarred if it were to come to light.
Arthur's friend and partner, Jay Porter (Jeffrey Tambor), is also unstable. He feels guilt from gaining acquittals for defendants who were truly guilty of violent crimes, showing up drunk at Arthur's apartment when one commits another murder after his acquittal. After a violent breakdown at the courthouse, throwing plates at people, Jay is taken to a hospital. Before leaving in the ambulance, Arthur asks Warren Fresnell (Larry Bryggman), another partner, to handle Ralph's court hearing in his absence. Arthur gives Warren a corrected version of Ralph's probation report and stresses that it must be shown to the judge so that Ralph will get probation rather than jail time.
Unfortunately, Warren fails to appear on time and Ralph is sentenced to jail. Arthur is livid and attacks Warren's car. When Warren argues that Ralph's trial was nothing but "nickels and dimes" and beneath him, Arthur reminds him that "they're people" and then reveals that 30 minutes after he was sentenced, Ralph hanged himself. Meanwhile, Jeff, sexually and physically abused by other inmates, finally snaps and takes two hostages. Arthur pleads with him to surrender, promising to get him out, but a police sniper shoots and kills Jeff when he moves in front of a window.
A clearly disturbed Arthur takes on Fleming's case. He tries to talk the prosecuting attorney, Frank Bowers (Craig T. Nelson) into throwing the case out but Bowers, who recognizes the prestige that convicting a judge would earn him, refuses to back down. Arthur meets with another client, Carl, who gives him photographs that show Fleming engaged in BDSM acts with a prostitute. Gail warns him not to betray a client, revealing that the ethics committee has been keeping their eye on him ever since the contempt of court incident. He shows the pictures to Fleming, who freely admits he is guilty of the rape.
As the trial opens, Fleming makes a casual remark to Arthur about wanting to rape the victim again, which pushes an already disgusted Arthur to a breaking point. In his opening statement, Arthur begins by mocking Bowers' case while speculating on the ultimate objective of the American legal system. He appears to be making a strong case to exonerate Fleming but unexpectedly bursts out and says that the prosecution is not going to get Fleming, because he is going to get him and declares that his client is guilty.
Rayford shouts that Arthur is "out of order," to which Arthur retorts, "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial's out of order!" Arthur is dragged out of the courtroom, venting his rage all the way and condemning Fleming for his and the legal system's abuse of the law. As the courtroom spectators (including Gail) cheer for Arthur, Fleming sits down in defeat, and a fed-up Rayford storms out.
In the end, Arthur sits on the courthouse's steps, knowing his antics will probably cost him his career in law. A supposedly cured Jay passes by and tips his wig to Arthur in greeting, leaving him sitting on the steps in disbelief.

Review: I thought those two characters were interesting together.The music sucked, but every movie soundtrack at that time sounded like a porno flick, didn't it?It's a story where one bad thing after another happens in a short period of time, in very unrealistic (we all hope!) fashion - but that's a whole movie genre in itself (although I don't know what you'd call it), to make us think of lots of different things and to push the main character over the edge.
And I believe that's what happens in this movie with all those bizarre scenes and deranged characters.Even though Jewison focuses problems such as corruption, criticizes the danger of powerful people in the wrong places and brings up moral dilemmas about the practice of law, I believe And Justice for All is more of a satire than a serious alert to a possible decadence of the judicial system.
The odd elements in the plot are one too many to see the movie strictly from its dramatic point of view: a cross-dresser client, an evidence-eating defendant, a suicidal judge, a hysterical lawyer.In a certain way, the message of this movie reminded me the one of Mike Nichols anti-war comedy Catch-22: in order to cope with a crazy situation you have to become a little crazy.
Some lawyers see Law as a business, some see it as a way to promote their personal careers and some see it as the opportunity given to those who have nothing else to lose.The performances are just great, specially the ones of Jack Warden and Jeffrey Tambor.
Al Pacino unquestionably steals the movie with another over-the-top performance as the lawyer willing to risk everything and delivers another memorable speech during his `opening statement'..
The best thing about "...And Justice For All" was the true and genuine care that Pacino's character had for his clients.The only thing I would change about this movie would be to narrow the story lines because it had a few too many to follow.
Also, if you look at Pacino's performance with a critical eye, you may decide it was one of the best of his career -- especially compared with some of the more contrived (if popular) portrayals subsequent to this movie ("Scarface," "Scent of a Woman").
Director Norman Jewison doesn't know either, and neither does the audience....And Justice For All, according to many reviews, is supposed to be some sort of Catch-22-ish satirical black comedy, but if so then it fails miserably, since it's never as funny or outrageous as that, and the scenes that force the film's messages - and those are excruciatingly obvious - are melodramatic and heavy-handed.
Most of the time the message we get is that very simply, law doesn't work, and always with tragic results - innocent men rot away in prison, guilty powerful men go unpunished, and guilty evil men walk free and kill again.Pacino was famed for his subtle performances throughout the 70's - nobody else could have made the slick transition from naive idealism to calculated evil that he achieved in The Godfather, or in Dog Day Afternoon.
Having said this, the film is a good example of the way some lawyers truly do care about their clients and not intent on making a lot of money.I now know why Al Pacino is considered one of the greatest film stars in Hollywood.
Having said this, the film is a good example of the way some lawyers truly do care about their clients and not intent on making a lot of money.I now know why Al Pacino is considered one of the greatest film stars in Hollywood.
What gets little mention and is oft forgotten is Al Pacino's performance as Arthur Kirkland in "And Justice for All." From days past and as I would watch Pacino classics, I always think back to 1979 and his portrayal of an ethical lawyer fighting for truth and justice in a not so ethical legal morass.Thanks to AMC for bringing this movie back for new generation of movie watchers and also for a reminder of how great an actor Al Pacino is.
And he involves Pacino in his effort to prove his innocence after he's accused of rape.Life does have a funny way of imitating art and later on the New York State Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, Sol Wachtler, was brought down in a similar scandal to what Forsythe is accused of here.Jack Warden is another judge operating out of that same Baltimore courthouse that Forsythe does.
And those cracks are everywhere.Al Pacino delivers a powerhouse performance in ...And Justice For All. The film has it's ups and downs, but Al's final scene is well worth the wait.
Throughout the movie your hate against the accused judge is really growing, and the end of the film is the finest work I have ever seen on the screen!
Al Pacino' opening procedure will always be remembered in the film history, especially among the movies in the history which deal with the legal system.
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer (Al Pacino) disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises (John Forsythe) in a rape trial.
Norman Jewison is a leading Canadian director who has made many socially relevant offbeat films which have left their mark on American cinema.It can be said that things did not work out well for him when he made "And Justice for All".In this film,he has tried to depict the corruption which has soiled the image as well as reputation of American criminal justice system.However,despite the presence of some leading names of Hollywood cinema including superstar Al Pacino,this film has failed to be a major achievement as somewhere in the middle of the film viewers feel abysmally lost.This might be due to the fact that audiences are made to believe that they are watching a drama film whereas in reality they are being forced to witness a comedy film.It is true that "And justice for all" is absolutely honest in its approach but due to its irrational assortment of various feather brained characters,viewers tend to dissociate themselves more and more with the overall development of film's honest plot and story line.In the past, somebody remarked that "And justice for all" had a strange kind of reactionary effect on American criminal justice system which was similar to "All the President's Men" directed by Alan.J.Pakula.
AlPacino stars here in a legal/political drama.Pacino puts on an acting clinic in this one,which is the main reason this movie works.i always assumed this movie was in the top 250 here,but it turns out it isn't.that's a bit sad and strange,since in my opinion it's a lot better than some of the other movies on the list.Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson wrote the film while Norman Jewison directed it.beside Pacino,there are a lot of other name actors involved,such as Jack Warden,John Forsythe,Christine Lahti,Craig T.
Pacino takes on the role of a good lawyer, both in morals and principles, who will put those same morals and principles to the test when he has to defend a corrupt and mean-spirited judge or else face serious reprimands from the bar.
Christine Lahti is believable as an ethics committee commando, at odds with Pacino.Jack Warden is at his best (You may also catch him in "The Verdict" with Paul Newman another great legal drama).This film does not sugar-coat reality,nor does it patronize the audience, and has some excellent performances.
I admire this film more than other courtroom dramas, like any John Grisham movie or A Few Good Men for example, and why?
I wonder if the movie might have been better if Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky collaborated on this uneven darkly comical project instead of director Norman Jewison and screenwriters Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtain.What ruined it for me were the various subplots and supporting characters which got in the way of the main plot in which an attorney (Al Pacino) finds that was hired to defend a corrupt judge (John Forsyth) he does not respect.Even though the final scenes were outrageously over-the-top, the final 20 minutes were the best scenes in the movie.
The Courtroom drama has enjoyed a level of prestige through almost every age of cinema, but this late 70s offering,  And Justice for All, perverts the normal course of the subgenre in order to trash the very tenets and conventions of the American legal system.Soapbox pictures like this can often be a bit self-defeating, losing their audience amid the po-faced preaching.
Norman Jewison's '...And Justice For All' is a film worth your time, thanks to it's interesting storyline and a winning performance by the legendary Al Pacino.
Al Pacino stars as Arthur Kirkland, An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer who is disgusted with rampant legal corruption and is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial.
The act may not be perfect but it quite sublimely conveys its message.Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) is a vehemently righteous lawyer who flips off the depraved and satirical judicial system for making a mockery of justice and humanity.
Although the movie is described as being about a defence attorney (Al Pacino) called upon to defend a judge (John Forsythe) with whom he's been in conflict against an accusation of rape, that really isn't the point of the movie, and I'm not even sure I'd call it the central story of the movie, although it is the storyline that leads to the eventual climax of the movie.
This is really a movie blending together a variety of story lines all of which have a connecting point in Pacino's character of Arthur Kirkland, and basically the movie serves as an indictment of the lack of justice within the American "justice system."From beginning to end "justice" is portrayed as a series of deals being made with little regard for whether the accused are guilty or innocent; "justice" is portrayed as lawyers and judges who really don't give a damn about the people they see come before them; "justice" is portrayed as innocent people getting caught up in a nightmare of a legal system and being thrown into jail regardless of evidence exonerating them; "justice" is portrayed as the guilty being let off on technicalities to commit their crimes all over again; "justice" is portrayed as a disciplinary committee of lawyers who go after small fry lawyers for small time issues but who leave the big names and the judges alone.
In other words, "justice" is not portrayed in a positive light.The movie is Pacino's, and his performance is excellent.
His instincts contradict with all the evidences on his hands that show the innocence of the accused judge, which lead to a memorable finale and the film's most famous and parodied scene.Jack Warden and Jeffrey Tambor give solid supporting performances here backed up by a solid script and competent direction from Norman Jewison, director of the multi Oscar winner In The Heat Of The Night.
Al Pacino plays Baltimore lawyer Arthur Kirkland, whose frustration with America's legal system - coupled with having to defend a judge whom he hates under threat of getting disbarred - leads him to do something that in reality probably no lawyer would ever do.Even if the movie has a rather unrealistic ending, you have to agree with what Arthur does.
Christine Lahti is fresh, Jack Warden is having a great time, John Forsythe and Jeffrey Tambor contest to see who can chew on the scenery the hardest, Lee Strasberg is seemingly in another, more earnest movie, and Al Pacino is brilliantly watchable as always.
Two guys who like to take cinematic chances, Norman Jewison and Al Pacino, came together to make a very engaging film, "And Justice for All".
And believe me; he has had some flawed scripts (does anyone remember F.I.S.T?) This movie that pits an average but hardworking defense attorney, Arthur Kirkland, played by Pacino, and the entire justice bureaucracy run by power-centered judges like Henry T.
I was surprised at how well John Forsythe played a thoroughly egocentric and conniving judge; Jack Warden as a suicidal adrenaline junkie cum judge creates one of his better characterization efforts on film.The Piece De Resistance of this 119 minute gem is Kirkland's opening statement during Judge Fleming's rape trial.
If there were an acting school out there that wanted to see a bit of method acting that challenges the best of what masters like Brando could do, that school should buy the rights to the last 10 minutes of "And Justice for All", burn it to a CD, and make it required study.If they could just find a way to erase the disco music in this film, it would be even better, but that being said, I still think this film is worth a look.
If you've seen, and remember, more than just the famous clip, you'll know that this is actually a good movie that's worth seeing and recommending to your friends.Al Pacino stars as a lawyer who's more than just a lawyer.
Al Pacino in a sort of a comedy role, playing an honest lawyer who against his will is forced to defend a judge he hates, who is being accused of rape.
The hero of this tragicomedy is Arthur Kirkland while his colleagues reminded of a line from one of my Business School teachers, who told us that "you can be absolutely professional AND a complete bastard", you can be a bastard and respect the rules, and on a bigger scale, the Law. This idea is totally unacceptable on an ethical level for Kirkland, who tries not to be just a lawyer, but a man of principles and ideals, like those expressed by children's voices in the beginning of the film, concluding with " And Justice For All" said in unison.Four simple words that summarize a noble ideal, and an ellipsis to sustain the idea that this is what it's all about at the end, this is the Alpha and the Omega.
This is the inspirational core of the film: the moral conflict lying beneath the soul of Arthur Kirkland and incarnated by the case he must defend, his personal enemy, Judge Fleming, John Forsythe in a powerful and nuanced antagonistic role, is accused of rape.
These people come back and forth into his life throughout the film and each time they appear the impact they have on Kirkland is more emotionally wrenching and painful to watch.The story centers around a Judge (John Forsythe) who is highly disliked by everyone in the business, especially Kirkland, that becomes accused of rape and actually hires Kirkland to become his lawyer.
So the main plot goes through the struggle that Kirkland has emotionally with defending a man he hates who is accused of rape and it becomes more and more grueling as time goes on.One of the more interesting subplots is that of Arthur's best friend Jay (a young Jeffrey Tambor, for you Arrested Development fans) and the painful breakdown he has after learning that one of his former clients who he knew was guilty but still got off and back on the streets has committed murder again.
Throughout this entire great film is the genius of Al Pacino who delivers one of his greatest performances and certainly the best of 1979..
This movie is worth seeing.Main thing I didn't like about it was you'll have a mixture of comedy throughout it , and then at the end you have Pacino's famous outburst (very serious and brilliant acting)...and then straight after that, without spoiling it, the "official" end, well, how can I put this?...it is incongruent with what happened before.
Some people may say they like this mixture but for me this movie was a serious topic (rape) so having these parts scattered made it a bit jumbled.That said, music was cheesy but funny, so that was good.
There are a couple good scenes/characters I guess (Jeffrey Tambor is really entertaining), but the movie really makes little sense.
This is the 23rd movie of Pacino that I have watched today and it's amazing he still continues to surprise me with his power performances.
Lee Strasberg is perfect as Grandpa Sam. Jeffrey Tambor steals the movie as Arthur's partner Jay. However, the normally likable Christine Lahti is out of place as Gail, the self-righteous and judgmental but requisite love interest for Pacino's character.
A great performance stuck in a subpar movie that plays like a daytime drama with awful music.
Unfortunately, it's a great performance stuck in a lousy movie - "And Justice for All" is incompetently directed and, worst of all, the musical score really, really dates the film and almost makes it hard to watch at times.The subplots - like Pacino taking a ride on the judge's helicopter and having it crash - are so '70s-ish that I felt as if I were watching an episode of "Starsky and Hutch" or something.
Honestly, this movie plays like a cheesy '70s daytime drama with better actors.Underneath the mess it has a good message about the legal profession.
***SPOILERS*** At the start of the movie "And Justice for All" you can't tell the difference between defense lawyer Arthur Kirkland, Al Pacino, from the persons that he defends in the courtroom.
The acting is terrific, of course, with Pacino carrying the main load, and some great support by Jack Warden, John Forsythe,and Jeffrey Tambor.
And this 1979 picture directed by TV man Norm Jewison has all of that with an all right title of "And Justice For All" it shows that the courts and legal system is a cat and mouse game with unfairness and plenty of corruption, and true the film is mixed with some funny moments and some outrageous characters to round the entertainment and overall quality of it.Al Pacino(one of the best around and one of his better roles which was Oscar nominated)is Arthur Kirkland a young criminal defense lawyer in Baltimore, who watches a system with criminals going free as it's the typical lawyers and judges are making deals like plea bargains and deals, yet all of a sudden the innocent are going unprotected.