Compulsion

A film set in 1920s Chicago and based on a real case. Judd and Artie are the sons of wealthy families. Both study law, both are clever and both consider themselves above ordinary people. The conclusion they draw from their reading is that moral rules do not apply to the superior man. They want to prove it. They plan a perfect crime and kill a child. The plan is not perfect. A pair of glasses is found at the scene, and very few people have that lens. The first half is the investigation. The two are cool at the start, protecting each other under questioning, and then one breaks. The second half is the trial. The lawyer the families hire does not deny the crime; he enters a plea of guilty and argues against the death penalty. His long closing speech is the film's centre of gravity and is built as a case against capital punishment. Dean Stockwell plays Judd, Bradford Dillman plays Artie and Orson Welles the lawyer. The three shared the acting prize at Cannes. Richard Fleischer directed. The narrative is taken from a trial of the 1920s, with the names changed. A strong production for anyone who likes courtroom films and narratives about the psychology of crime. For a viewer expecting action, the film is built almost entirely on questioning and defence.