Review of Compulsion (1959) by Craig B — 18 Nov 2010

[i]Compulsion[/i], filmed in 1959 by Richard Fleischer, is based on the famous Leopold-Loeb trial of 1924. The real case was billed as the "Trial of the Century" by the press, and Americans couldn't stop talking about it. At the heart of the buzz were the two accused murderers, Nathan Leopold, Jr. (aged 19) and Richard Loeb (aged 18,) the sons of two affluent families. They were rich, well-respected, and extremely intelligent, having already completed college, and as such were initially above suspicion for having committed the murder of teenager Bobby Franks. Under pressure from intense investigation, however, they finally admitted to the murder, and even began to brag about the details. They were both fans of philosopher Friedrich Neitzche, and as such, they considered themselves Supermen, above the laws of normal society. They thought that they could pull off the perfect crime, and planned to do so just for the thrill. Clarence Darrow, one of the most respected defense attorneys of his time and an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, was brought in to keep the boys from the gallows. His speech in defense of the murderers is considered one of the best of his career.

And this is where [i]Compulsion[/i] gets its power. Many of the arguments made in the film come straight from the trial transcripts, and are masterfully delivered by Orson Welles as Jonathan Wilk (the character based on Darrow.) He knows the murderers are guilty, but his moral conviction against capital punishment compels him to take the case and fight for their lives. Knowing that a trial by jury will likely end in execution, Wilk enters pleas of guilty. He then sets out to convince the judge that capital punishment isn't a practice that a moral nation should endorse. E.G. Marshall matches Welles' intensity as District Attorney Harold Horn, whose expert sleuthing and interrogating catch the young murderers in their own web of deception. He's equally convinced that the death penalty is fitting punishment for the boys...after all, they planned the murder, executed the plan, and show no remorse for the boy whose life they took. It's the viewpoints of these two characters that turn [i]Compulsion[/i] into a real potboiler. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman are strong as Judd and Artie, the movie's murderous Leopold and Loeb counterparts. If you haven't seen this film, treat yourself and rent it. Welles' small performance alone is reason enough for the rental.