why the movie rated so high?

The bottom line is it's all a matter of taste. Someone mentioned the top 250 list on this site. Did anyone notice there were 2 Star Wars movies in the top 12. I really like Star Wars, alot, but I would never put it in the top 100, so take the rating with a grain of salt and not some official stamp of authenticity. On a side note, I would put this movie in the top 200.

Caught this movie and couldn't stop watching. The music throughout is unbelievable. There's this dawning of great complex movies to come, and this is in 59, 8 years before The Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde, before the musical revolution of the 60's. There's great execution here that holds up today, but I think much of the prestige goes to the groundbreaking and influence of the movie. Stewart is a winner, but everyone is pretty good for the age, barring perhaps the judge.

I think the triumph of this movie is that the viewer has no real idea of the verdict prior to it being delivered, and that ultimately the verdict doesn't really matter. It's not a 'whodunnit'. Throughout the trial, the main facts aren't disputed; he shot the guy in a state of either jealousy or rage, but multiple mitigating factors (psychological state at the time of the crime etc) are continually being countered with aggravating factors by the respective counsels.

So the situation is being presented as a state of mid-grey, with the prosecution trying to sway the jury's perception towards a slightly darker shade of grey and the defense trying to sway it towards a slightly lighter shade of grey. But then the jury are forced to come up with an absolute verdict in black or white: guilty or not guilty. They don't have the option of delivering an ambiguous verdict.

So the point of this movie is perhaps to create a healthy cynicism for the adversarial trial system that forces a group of lay-persons to form an absolute black or white verdict, and that their verdict in a very grey, muddy case will depend largely on the competence, experience and legal strategy of the respective counsel.

By comparison, modern courtroom dramas tend to rely on major plot-twists, and absolute certainty as to guilt or innocence by the finale. Hence this one is highly regarded, and contrary to other posters here I don't think it has dated at all.

Because it was rather superb and you are in the minority.

Enrique Sanchez

It's a very intense and intelligent look at a sensational trial dealing with forbidden subjects (rape, wife beating) when it was made. It's extremely well acted by a fine cast, ably directed by Otto Preminger and filmed on location in the picturesque Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's honest, suspenseful and engrossing, and while the ending is ambiguous, it's the perfect finale, showing that justice isn't alway the truth or what we want to happen.

why the movie rated so high?
by - junkielee on Fri Jul 21 2006 01:54:19
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i've just finished the movie, and feel tired and exausted,

just an average movie i think, not so good, why the 8.2?


Because some people obviously gave it a high rating because in their opinion this movie deserves it.

What an odd question to ask!

"I promise you, before I die I'll surely come to your doorstep"

because the story was perfectly built, yes there was some average directing occasionally, still the story was very well told and the actors were very good, but like I said sometimes they were not very well guided...still a brilliant movie.

It's simple. Marvelous acting, especially by Stewart (my favourite role of this guy, better than in Rope)and old man who plays the Judge, complicated and twisted scenario, nice photage - brilliant claustrophobic scene when Stewart talks with Manion in jail, wit and humour in dialogues - what man should want more from courtroom thriller? And one more thing - it's not so idealistic as To Kill a Mockbird or 12 Angry Men, it's more contemporary in terms of moral values, shows perfect moral ambivalence of law and lawyers.