Witness For the Prosecution

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9.6/10

FilmFascination Rating

‘The management of the theatre suggests that for the greater entertainment of friends who have not yet seen the picture, you will not divulge to anyone the secret of the ending of “Witness for the Prosecution”.’

That is how the movie ends. Most of you must have understood that when a movie boldly says something like this, it is confident with itself. And why shouldn’t it be?

When I saw that this movie was directed by Billy Wilder I got excited. I really admire him and he is one of the most versatile directors. I have seen him make comedy movies, and he does wonders. Let me tell you this, he sure can handle a movie like this and still carry out with his style. You’ll get more than a giggle even when you are in the court where a case of murder is being handled.

Sir Wilfrid Robarts has just recovered from a heart attack, when he takes a case where Leanord Vole is accused of murdering Emily French, a wealthy, childless widow. Circumstances change when Vole’s wife, his only alibi turns against him in the court. I would have loved to talk about the plot more, but I mustn’t. You watch it for yourself.

You get the Wilder taste from the very beginning when Sir Wilfred, the barrister, tells the nurse to roll her mouth instead when she asks if he wants the window to be rolled down. Sir Wilfred is a character you see in many movies. The protagonist who has been in the game for too long and his work is what he is all about. Charles Laughton who plays Wilfred in the movie is more than apt for this character. We know exactly who he is, from very first dialogue he utters in the movie. Don’t get me wrong by concluding the character to be a cliché. Even if it might be, Wilfred has a character that is very likable. After all, our knowledge is limited to whatever Wilfred knows throughout the movie.

The movie will make you laugh, get your head scratching, and make you smile when Wilfred makes a great turn in the hearing when something surprising happens. The movie is absolutely unpredictable. You wouldn’t know anything for sure till the end. Even if you think you do, you are wrong. It is pleasant and somewhat satisfying to see how Wilfred has his way with words and can change the atmosphere of the court when it is his chance to talk.

The movie as expected has an excellent script. It is a must for the movie for it to stay strong. Because from the point of view of things happening on the screen, there isn’t a huge amount of it. But it is through the excellent dialogue delivery of this rich script that the movie makes sure to not make you realise that fact. Dialogue delivery leads to performances and there are more than one to admire in this one. Laughton has an impeccable comic timing which makes the already funny script even funnier. It is not just him though.

There is Marlene Dietrich who plays the German wife Christine who has a confusing personality. Then there is Tyrone Power as Leanord Vole who seems to be the helpless guy who has found himself dragged into this terrible situation. Else Lanchester as the nurse who keeps bugging Wilfrid to take rest. Their chemistry and the banter they share is so enjoyable. Something we are shown right at the beginning of the movie. And then there is also Una O’Connor who plays the annoyed housekeeper Janet MacKenzie which also turns out to be a memorable performance. Even though the movie is about the murder, the movie sets its tone right. It does not want to go into the intricacies of the harsh side of it. It always keeps the mood lively, fun and also tense when it needs to. That is an achievement.

I have always hated it when a movie brings some new evidence out of nowhere in the middle of the movie and closes the mystery using that. Good mystery movies aren’t the ones that make you scratch your head. They are the ones that solve the case by using the information that was right in front of you, but you were just blindsided to see it. ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ isn’t quite about the evidences, but its secrets lie within the humans (the best kind).

The movie is a one time watch. Not that I would mind watching it again, but I would not feel the same as I did the first time. The last few minutes are blows of shocking revelations, one after the other. Watching those for the first time is a not easily forgettable experience. I am a little partial towards movies that have a strong plot, because they have become hard to find these days. This film has one, executes the plot perfectly and even gives great performances. Ah….one of my favourites now.

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3 thoughts on “Witness For the Prosecution”

  1. Very interesting topic, thanks for putting up. “Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge’s chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view.” by Lillian Hellman.

  2. It’s actually a cool and useful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

    1. soham.filmfascination

      Thank you 😉
      You can also join the FilmFascination Club where I give updates on the latest posts and talk more about movies.

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