Based on some of the other reviews on this board, I'd have to say it's a good thing there's a Turner Classics Movie Channel out there. I had never heard of this Paul Newman starring vehicle before either. Once under way, the story of Captain Edward Hall Jr. becomes a compelling drama, as the courtroom scenes reveal the nuanced complexity in determining what constitutes 'collaboration with the enemy'. In an even handed way, the film allows the prosecuting and defense attorneys both build convincing arguments that make it difficult for the viewer to determine how the story will end. I have to say, I felt exactly the same as Lt. Col Wasnick (Edmond O'Brien) did when Captain Hall admitted that he may not have reached the breaking point while prisoner. Suddenly, the tension is drained from Hall's ordeal, and there's an acknowledgment and acceptance of a guilty verdict even before the decision is announced.
Though others find Newman's scene in the car with the father (Walter Pidgeon) of his character to be emotionally charged, my own favorite scene was the brilliant opening argument by Edmond O'Brien in defense of his client. Now that I think about it, I'm intrigued by how highly competent both opposing attorneys were in their respective arguments, leading me to consider how successful they might have been if O'Brien and Wendell Corey were cast in each other's role. Would Wasnick have used the same argument to determine Hall's 'breaking point' if he were on the other side? Quite interesting to consider.
One odd observation, and I don't know why this bothers me but it does. Remember the scene when Captain Hall asks for a glass of water while on the stand? Prosecuting attorney Sam Moulton (Corey) hands him the glass, and when Hall is finished taking a sip, hands it back to Moulton. Moulton then refills it and drinks from the same glass! Why?
And finally, getting back to my original point about TMC. If I didn't watch Turner Classics so regularly, I would never have known the name of the movie the rehabilitating soldiers were watching in the military hospital. That was Debbie Reynolds on screen in a scene from 1953's "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis".
Though others find Newman's scene in the car with the father (Walter Pidgeon) of his character to be emotionally charged, my own favorite scene was the brilliant opening argument by Edmond O'Brien in defense of his client. Now that I think about it, I'm intrigued by how highly competent both opposing attorneys were in their respective arguments, leading me to consider how successful they might have been if O'Brien and Wendell Corey were cast in each other's role. Would Wasnick have used the same argument to determine Hall's 'breaking point' if he were on the other side? Quite interesting to consider.
One odd observation, and I don't know why this bothers me but it does. Remember the scene when Captain Hall asks for a glass of water while on the stand? Prosecuting attorney Sam Moulton (Corey) hands him the glass, and when Hall is finished taking a sip, hands it back to Moulton. Moulton then refills it and drinks from the same glass! Why?
And finally, getting back to my original point about TMC. If I didn't watch Turner Classics so regularly, I would never have known the name of the movie the rehabilitating soldiers were watching in the military hospital. That was Debbie Reynolds on screen in a scene from 1953's "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis".