And Justice For All (Special Edition)

Great Al Pacino film..
This film is a must-see for die-hard Pacino fans and should-see for fans interested in viewing an enjoyable film with a statement that remains timely over time.

'And Justice For All' is nearing one-quarter of a century in age and while Pacino has matured as an actor, his role in this film definitely deserved the nominations for the Oscar and Golden Globe that it garnered. The closing courtroom scene provided a very strong glimpse and more than a hint of the brilliance to come in Pacino's superior acting ability, as well as a striking and disturbing statement on the justice system. As billed this was a satire on the world of the courts and while not your normal courtroom film, it contained a revealing and bleak message. Reviewers who have indicated the incidents in this film were not realistic have much to learn about the inner workings of justice. This was a dire, but accurate depiction of the inner workings of courthouses all over the land.

The cast was filled with an...

Pacino shines in courtroom satire
Ever since watching the Godfather films I've been a huge Al Pacino fan. His amazing over-the-top performance in the courtroom scene at the end is what makes this unsympathetic look at our criminal justice system so memorable. However, I agree with other reviewers that the plot is slow at times & the movie wavers uncomfortably between comedy & drama. The humor is at times a little too forced & the disco music doesn't help. One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the great Lee Strasberg play Pacino's grandfather. Remember Godfather Part 2 when Pacino had Strasberg "taken out"? I only wish they could've made more films together. The great cast also includes John Forsythe (who plays a TOTALLY unlikable villian), & Jack Warden, whose suicidal antics get annoying after a while. Of course, it's Pacino that makes this movie so entertaining & so watchable 25 years later. While it's no masterpiece I still highly recommend it to Al Pacino fans (&...

...And Justice For All (1979)
Director: Norman Jewison

Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Lee Strasberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Lahti, Sam Levene, Robert Christian, Craig T. Nelson, Terri Wooten.

Running Time: 119 minutes

Rated R for language and some violence.

There were quite a few of these types of films in the seventies, not really comedies or dramas per se, but a clever mixture of both, and part of the reason that the '70s are regarded by many as the richest era for films & film-making. Another sample which comes to mind is "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" - not as good, but comparable. These films point to a darkly humorous take on our existence, usually taking place in modern, contemporary times, and in an urban setting. In this one, the legal - justice system is targeted; it's the system we supposedly depend on and which elevates our nation (the U.S.) above the rabble of the world. But the way it's examined here, the system doesn't really work. It's...

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