Directed by: Norman Jewison
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Jeffrey Tambor, Larry Bryggman, Lee Strasberg, Christine Lahti, Craig T. Nelson, Robert Christian, Thomas G. Waites, Dominic Chianese
The opening scenes of ... And Justice for All show us empty courtroom hallways with students reciting The Pledge of Allegiance and of course the "and justice for all" phrase emphasized. Kids may believe such a concept exists. In the world of this movie, this idea is merely a theory and hardly practiced. For veteran attorney Arthur Kirkland (Pacino), "and justice for all" is something for which we should strive but thanks to politics, stupid legal technicalities, deal making, and human nature, such a belief is unattainable. By the end of the movie, two of his clients meet violent endings and a third is betrayed by Arthur in the famed, "You're out of order" courtroom speech in which he reaches his breaking point with the legal system and says his own version of, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore,"
The difference between Arthur Kirkland and Howard Beale is that Kirkland can find himself either in jail for contempt of court or disbarred, while Beale can only get himself fired or promoted. When ... And Justice for All opens, Kirkland is indeed sitting in jail when a transvestite is booked for robbing a taxi. This person will soon be a Kirkland client. Why was Kirkland in jail on a contempt charge? Because he pissed off Judge Henry Fleming (Forsythe), who refused to release Kirkland's innocent client on a broken tail light ticket which inexplicably turned into a six-month prison sentence. Something to do with papers not being filed on time, but Fleming takes sadistic pleasure in sticking to the letter of the law. Later, he tells Arthur that incarceration doesn't work and that it would make more sense for someone to be hanged for armed robbery to really deter crime.
Arthur hates Fleming, but soon Fleming is charged with raping and beating up a young girl and asks Arthur to represent him. Why? Fleming, ever the politically-savvy judge, figures if someone who hates him would defend him then the public will see he's truly innocent. When Arthur refuses, Fleming brings up a professional indiscretion from years ago which blackmails Arthur into defending him. So now Arthur is defending a client he despises and trying to free his two innocent clients from unnecessary detainment, which results in Arthur making promises he can't keep despite his efforts.
... And Justice for All was written by future Oscar winner Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin and is thankfully not an overwrought melodrama about a crusading attorney fighting for justice. Instead, it is actually a dark comedy mixed with deeper satire with dramatic elements. How else do you explain a suicidal judge (Warden) who fires a gun in his courtroom to maintain order or eats lunch on a fifth floor outdoor ledge? Or the view of the legal system which contains laughs because you can't believe how close to the truth it is? Pacino throughout it all maintains his angry, defiant, but ultimately caring tone. It's quite a performance and worthy of the Oscar nomination he received that year (he lost out to Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer). Arthur is smart and determined, but soon he finds he is in over his head trying to keep his sanity amidst this insane world of criminal justice.
Pacino's final courtroom speech which gained its own fame represents an explosion from Arthur who decides he is fed up with the bullshit. After failing to free two innocent clients, and trying to keep a potentially guilty one out of prison, Arthur finds he is at his limit. The price he prays will be likely disbarment, but as he sits on the courtroom steps contemplating his future, he finds he may be able to live with that.
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