Review of Witness for the Prosecution (1957) by Michael C — 19 Aug 2009

A sharp thriller from the great auteur Billy Wilder, this is a very procedural courtroom drama, but that is not spoken as a negative by this reviewer, as I enjoy the courtroom process, and courtroom dramas I find a fascinating sub-genre.

The film details Tyrone Power as a man accused of the murder of an older woman, and his wife may or may not be on his side when testifying. This story parallels with the story of the corpulent, stubborn judge (Charles Laughton) who really steals the movie for me.

He takes the case even though it was suggested that the case was too intense for his sensitive state of health. His banter with his nurse (the Bride of Frankenstein herself Elsa Lanchester in a wonderfully comedic performance in a serious film) is priceless and I was excited each time they appeared together on screen.

Marlene Dietrich is really great as the wife as well; I think she seems like an ideal woman for a noir type film, as she is beautiful but really seems like she could be up to sinister things in this role and several others, and is talented enough to make you doubt both her guilt and her innocence at different moments.

The film also does what most thriller try for and only a handful succeed in doing; it keeps you guessing until the conclusion. It didn't seem revolutionary, though it certainly may have been at the time, but that doesn't subtract from the fact that it is a very competent, exciting courtroom thriller.