Review of Witness for the Prosecution (1957) by Uditha D — 28 Nov 2011

Every minute of Witness For The Prosecution contains at least one of these elements - irony, wit, tension, humor and suspense. And in every scene, suspense is always present, well and truly. This is a very evocative film, but it isn't so just by being thrilling: it would have gone nowhere without the performances. I was astounded by Tyrone Power's role as the victim, and Marlene Dietrich's as his seemingly tyrannic wife. The ending is by far the greatest shock twist I've ever seen, but when I look at it, it was a combination of Power and Marlene Dietrich's performances that really made the ending exceptional. Plus of course that cockney woman at the station. Tyrone Power's last role might have also been his best, and that is what boggled my mind: the multiplicity of his onscreen character.

The second mention-worthy fact is the other couple - Charles Laughton as the candid barrister Sir Wilfrid Robards, and Elsa Lanchester as his forever tailing nurse Miss Plimsoll. The inclusion of the latter was Billy Wilder's decision, but it only made this already enjoyable film more so. Overall, I would say that the best part of this very worthwhile drama lies in its performances: Power and Dietrich as the duplicitous couple, and Laughton and Lanchester as the humorous one. Witness For The Prosecution is delightful mainly because of that, as well as of course Wilder's brilliant direction.