Last weekend we decided to watch a movie on Netflix, and Theresa picked out Witness for the Prosecution, an entertaining courtroom drama that's full of surprises. Based on a play by Agatha Christie, the film features Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich, along with a thoroughly entertaining Charles Laughton.
Laughton plays Sir Wilfred Robarts, a barrister who is recovering from a heart attack, under strict orders from his doctor (and nurse!) to avoid strenuous activity. Robarts is an appealing character, driving his nurse to distraction, sneaking cigars, and, most importantly, taking a seemingly hopeless case - a man accused of a murder that everyone thinks he did.
Tyrone Power is quite good as the accused, Leonard Vole. You like him, and really want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there's just something that makes you wonder if he's on the up-and-up.
Marlene Dietrich is superb as Vole's wife, Christine. I haven't seen her in a lot of movies, so I didn't know what to expect, but she was excellent. Is she the doting wife? Scheming temptress? Innocent dupe? We see all of this, and more, as the plot is revealed.
Being an Agatha Christie story, there's plenty of twists and turns as the story is told. You're certain you know what's going on, then realize you have it all wrong, then certain again. I must confess, I had it figured out about half way through, but I wasn't sure until the end - and I was still blown away as the final twist was revealed. I won't give away the ending - you'll have to rent it to see for yourself.
If you're not used to watching old movies, it takes a bit of adjustment on your part. This was released in 1957, so the film quality is not what you'd expect today. It's shot in glorious black and white, and don't expect high definition. The sound is tinny, and there are no special effects (not that any are called for). The sets are simple - mainly just the law office and courtroom, but the characters are complex. After watching for a few minutes, none of these minor annoyances even registered. It's a great movie, with three-dimensional characters involved in a convoluted plot that reaches a stunning and unexpected climax. Along the way there's suspense, of course, but also plenty of humor. Pop some popcorn and fire up Netflix for an entertaining evening.
Gregg, I've read the short story the play was based on, and it's a good one. But Wikipedia tells me that Agatha Christie changed the ending in the play (and, presumably, the movie?).
ReplyDeleteThat surprises me, because the short story had a great ending. Oh, well. it sounds like the movie was good, anyway.