At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Defense attorney Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) gets out of jail for taking a swing at insanely tough Judge Henry Fleming (John Forsythe) for railroading his client Jeff McCullaugh. McCullaugh is imprisoned after exonerating evidence comes in 3 days after a deadline. Fellow defense lawyer Jay Porter (Jeffrey Tambor) is a friend. Gun-toting judge Francis Rayford (Jack Warden) is friendly and very eccentric. His grandpa Sam (Lee Strasberg) in a nursing home has dementia. He starts dating Gail Packer (Christine Lahti) who is on the committee investigating him. Judge Fleming is arrested for rape and he calls on Kirkland to defend him.While I like the sense of chaos in the legal and penal systems in my movies, a judge shooting into the ceiling is going over the line especially if everybody just shrugs it off. There are a couple of points about the law that don't ring true. The acting is superb led by Al Pacino. Jack Warden is excellent. Director Norman Jewison is able to create a nice sense of a broken system.

Good, but not great. Interesting examination of the American criminal justice system. However, the conclusion is too neat and convenient and, worst of all, director Norman Jewison obviously seemed to think this was a comedy-drama. With such a weighty subject and plot, there is far too much fluff - silly detours and sub-plots that add nothing to the story, just detract from it.Performances are so-so. Al Pacino is solid, but his final scene is unnecessarily over-the-top. Many of the supporting performances are cringeworthy, though that might be the writer and director's faults. John Forsythe is quite unconvincing as Al Pacino's nemesis. Jeffrey Tambor is irritatingly over-the-top in his role. Craig T Nelson is ridiculous as the prosecutor. Jack Warden is too weird.The only decent supporting performances come from Christine Lahti and Lee Strasbourg (the famed acting teacher).

This film has become a classic, meaning it is commonly quoted when you speak of the problem of justice in the USA, in this case Baltimore, Maryland. The title of the film is the end of the pledge of allegiance that is read at the beginning of the film by several children in some class. Every Ameican knows it and it is essential to keep it in mind here."I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."Apart from the sidetracking subplot of the grandfather of the main character, a lawyer, the rest has to do with nothing but justice and prison. Even the affair this main character has with the lawyer turned bureaucrat in the court administration or surveillance committee is part of the plot because she has a lot to say about a lot of things and about what he should do or should not do. Our main character, Arthur Kirkland, is seen taking care, a strange way of speaking, of two clients. One will commit suicide and the other will be shot by some sniper of the police when he steps out of line. The lawyer himself, Arthur, is liquidated and he has no other way than accepting this self-liquidation provided he can in doing so bring at least one rotten judge down. If you step off the line, either you become rotten all the way, hence the slave of the system, or you will be kicked out and you will starve. Liquidation by starvation.Justice is shown as malfunctioning from beginning to end, from left to right and back from right to left, up and down and the reverse, from front to back and vice versa. They do not have the slightest interest for the people they are supposed to try and send to prison, or eventually release, put on probation or parole. It is absolutely disheartening but there is nothing to do about it. So better accept it and make do with it, or at least make believe you believe in the fairness of that justice for all which is the miscarriage of justice for most.Enjoy the film. There is nothing else to say except the details of the arguments. You better watch them and discover them yourself, but be sure you have not eaten something too greasy if you do not want to be sick, I mean vomit in your lap.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer (Al Pacino) disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises (John Forsythe) in a rape trial. But if he does not do it, the judge will have him disbarred.Roger Ebert says of this film that "it's not a statement, it's an anthology." And that is absolutely right. The plot above, and a similar plot on the back of the movie's case, only cover about one quarter of what goes on in this film. We have a crazy attorney, a prison riot, a suicidal judge (played expertly by Jack Warden)... the rape trial actually turns out to be such a small part.But that is a good thing, because we get to see Al Pacino being a little bit excited in a variety of different circumstances. And the tone is incredible -- some parts are deadly serious (rape, murder and suicide have to be to some degree) while much of the movie is a very, very dark comedy. And it is incredible.