Justice est faite

When I was 12 years old in Silver Spring, MD; theater-man Paul Roth took over Warner's double feature house the SECO and remodeled it into an art theater, Roth's Silver Spring. The admission price went from 44 cents now up to $1.00 (which was double any nearby admission price. It was a new atmosphere, no popcorn, and they served free coffee in the lounge. This was the first "art" theater in Washington DC's suburbs.

Today in 2011, most moviegoers have to dumb-ourselves-down in order -- as grown-ups -- to see the mindless drivel Hollywood makes to please the 12 year-old's. In 1950, quite regularly the 12 year-old's would reach upward and try to grasp and enjoy movies aimed at adults. Thus it was with the French drama, "Justice is Done." This excellent court drama was my first movie with subtitles. What a start! I've never since then seen a movie with so many subtitles. Talk, talk, talk! Of course with a criminal case in court, lots of talking has to be done. Reading subtitles opens up the mind to many great movies. "Wild Strawberries" (the best movie ever made), "Seven Samurai" others.

Roth's Silver Spring (the Seco) still exists, functioning now as a church. I had my first date with Diane at Roth's; later my last date with Diane at Roth's --- sacred ground I'd say.

André Cayatte ,who was trained as a lawyer began his career with Balzac,Zola or Maupassant adaptations.However ,even in those works ,he already displayed his concerns: social justice in "Au Bonheur des Dames" ,and "les Amants de Verone" his towering achievement featured some kind of trial.

But "Justice Est Faite" marked the birth of the director/lawyer who would continue his fight through the fifties ,sixties and seventies ,with few exceptions.Truffaut often laughed at him but who was he to criticize him?Cayatte's films have a bad and -for the best of them-totally unfair reputation.

"Justice est faite" is part of Cayatte's best.The subject was very risqué for 1950 (still is today in 2006): euthanasia.A woman killed her lover : was it to put an end to her lover's sufferings? But there was another man... and a lot of dough at the end of it.Cayatte will not conclude,his ending remaining completely open.

Even more interesting than the trial itself is the way Cayatte shows how the jurors are summoned (the farmer's lines are revealing:"they want us to be soldiers...and now they want us to judge our fellow men").

The last lines -voice over provided by Pierre Fresnay- are downright disturbing.

More in the same vein was to come.

More than a very beautiful film, it was for me source of powerful emotions. Because the theme remains provocative in profound sense, because Andre Cayatte gives a splendid example of high cinematography, because the moral dilemma works in admirable manner and, because it represents a not doubts gem first for the impecable end. A great, in so many senses, masterpiece.

It appears this movie has been confused with another superb french film noire, namely, "We are all assassins", in which convicted murderers are hauled off in the middle of the night to be executed. In "Justice est fait" the weakness of the jury system in France is explored. For example in the case in question if one of the jurors had learnt something personal he would have changed his vote.

I saw this movie many many years ago; but it remained in my mind because of the excellent acting and the suspense. It was a French movie which was about convicted criminals who were awaiting their death. However, in order to make the process more humane, they were not told about the day or time that their execution would take place. At the appointed moment, two guards would rush into the cell grab the convicted criminal by both of his arms and drag the stunned man to the place of execution. The moment when the doors of the cell are flung open with a loud clang and the guards rush in to the overwhelmed prisoner will stay in my mind forever. I would like to hear more about this movie to refresh my mind about the rest of the plot and would appreciate information about it. Thank you.