MovieChat Forums > The Untouchables (1987) Discussion > Courtroom scene is laughable

Courtroom scene is laughable

posted 14 years ago by powderwombat
10 replies | jump to latest

How the *beep* did this pass muster for Brian de Palma? Basically the film-makers think the audience is stupid if they expect us to believe anything like what took place in the courtroom is even remotely realistic.

First of all, the judge SWITCHING JURIES WITH A NEIGHBOURING COURTROOM is about the dumbest thing I've ever been expected to believe in a movie. Juries are selected by the attorneys, who go through a specific process to whittle the number of candidates down to the final 12, asking them questions and vetoing people they don't want (sometimes you don't want a certain types of people judging a case).

Secondly, Capone's lawyer switching his plea to guilty without even consulting Capone is farcicle. If a lawyer shouted out 'we're changing our plea to guilty' without consulting his client, it is an instant mistrial. Jury gets dismissed, new judge, the whole thing starts over.

But no, Capone starts a *beep* punch up in the courtroom, gets dragged away screaming 'Is this justice?!' and we get told he's gone away for 11 years....was there even a fair trial? Are to we assume he just got dragged away and sent to the slammer while getting completely screwed by the system? What the *beep* is this *beep*

[–] dyahrmarkt 14 years ago

"The Untouchables" is very, very close to parody. It's so unbelievably fantastic, so outrageously ridiculous, and you know what? It's pretty entertaining at that. Just watch the film as some kind of weird experiment on the genre and it works. But as a "straight" film it hasn't a prayer.

Please nest your IMDB page, so you respond to the correct person.

[–] kkuger 13 years ago

In real life, it was the jury pool that got switched, right before voir dire began.

[–] Ulex 13 years ago

So they changed around when the jury got switched to a time that didn't make sense -- but worked dramatically because it all happens (judge's decision, Capone conviction, end of movie) so quickly.

Maybe too much suspension of disbelief but the whole movie is kinda surreal. Obviously Elliot Ness didn't really throw Frank Nitti off of a building.

[–] kkuger 13 years ago

Exactly. The real judge, by the way was as straight of an arrow as they get. If I recall correctly, the judge's family was very unhappy with film implying that he was corrupt.

[–] vpilutis 12 years ago

Ness told him his name was on the list when it wasn't so the question is was he corrupt or not?

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[–] yabber-blaster 12 years ago

Didn't matter if it "was" on the list. If even a rumor got out he was on the list, it would have been over or at least trouble for him as a judge. In a room full of liars, who is telling the truth?

I think the idea is that the judge had skeletons in the closet, and believed those skeletons followed the list.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kidzbpq 12 years ago

This happened 80 years ago, before our "justice" system was an overly politically correct joke.

[–] chrystal71061 10 years ago

They did switch the jury. He did change his plea. He did shout out that he was not finished fighting as they took him away.

This is only dramatic license.

[–] stormchaser_1-132-836969 10 years ago

Switching juries can happen if there is proof of jury bribery. It was Eddie O'Hare who was an informant, which told Agent Frank Wilson that Capone was handing $1,000 to Jurors, promising political jobs, tickets to prize fights, and muscling them. US Attorney George EQ Johnson, Agent Frank Wilson, informant Eddie Oh'Hare proved that Al Capone bribed and muscled the jury with Judge James H Wilkerson. Elliot Ness was never at the trial and Al Capone yelled "I'm not through fighting yet". Al Capone got 11 years for Tax Evasion while he was trying to settle it with even more than he owed before he was indited. Every Chicago Politician and President Hoover wanted Capone behind bars. Elliot Ness was an annoying bee buzzing in Capone's ear and fabricated the whole story. Capone had all Prohibition Charges dropped, due to Elliot Ness not abiding by the law.