Color of Justice (1997) (TV)

Regisseur:

Jeremy Kagan

Drehbuchautor (WGA):

Lionel Chetwynd (written by)

Premierendatum:

7. September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Werbezeile:

It isn't just Black and White.

Plot:

Four young black men kill a white woman. Now the D.A. is very cautious how to pursue this case cause it might start a riot...

Plot Keywords:

African American | Car Jacking | City | Lawyer | Media

Filmpreise:

1 nomination

Nutzerkommentare:

Some clichés but mostly very well made and provides no easy answers until a terribly clichéd ending

Besetzung

F. Murray Abraham	...	Jim Sullivan
Dayo Ade	...	Prisoner
Philip Akin	...	New York Assistant D.A
Dwight Bacquie	...	Orderly
Marlon Brand	...	Reporter #5
Kedar Brown	...	Al
Christine Brubaker	...	Reporter #1
Paul Butler	...	Stan
Eugene Byrd	...	Kenny
Sandra Caldwell	...	Kameel's Mother
Dick Callahan	...	Bartender
Gloria Carlin	...	Jill
Johnie Chase	...	Islamic Minister
Jeff Clarke	...	Reporter #3
David Clement	...	Funeral Minister
Jim Codrington	...	Reporter #4
Stan Coles	...	Sanders
Michael Copeman	...	Cop in Deli
Jon Vladimir Cubrt	...	Newsroom P.A (as Jon Cubrt)
Bruce Davison	...	Frank Gainer
Don Dickinson	...	Sarge
Eric Fink	...	Johnny
David Fraser	...	911 Supervisor
Lane Fraser	...	Channel 3 Anchorwoman
Scott Gibson	...	Attorney General Associate
Malcolm Goodwin	...	Shawn
Michael Hanrahan	...	White Hose Aide
Christine Harwart	...	Nurse
Dulé Hill	...	Kameel
Gregory Hines	...	Reverend Walton
Judd Hirsch	...	Sam Lind
Martin Julien	...	Sound Man
Mia Korf	...	Linda Chang
Michael Eric Kramer	...	Detective
Larissa Laskin	...	New York Assistant D.A
Elizabeth Lennie	...	Angie
Bill MacDonald	...	Station Master
Patric Masurkevitch	...	Doctor
Mark Melymick	...	Sergeant
Tony Meyler	...	Prison Guard #2
Dave Nichols	...	New Jersey D.A
Lisa Pelikan	...	Betty
Joe Pingue	...	Prison Guard #1
Arnold Pinnock	...	Drug Dealer
Jonathan Potts	...	D.A. Trainee
Steven Randazzo	...	Courtroom Cop
Vito Rezza	...	Transit Cop
Jackie Richardson	...	Judge Winslow
Michael Ricupero	...	Reporter #2
Don Ritchie	...	Barry
Karen Robinson	...	New Jersey Assistant D.A
Saul Rubinek	...	Norm
Kevin Rushton	...	Prison Guard #3
Shadia Simmons	...	Harriet
Harry Spiegel	...	Pete
Sandi Stahlbrand	...	Connie
John Stocker	...	Court Clerk
Mark Taylor	...	Rodney
Tim Weber	...	Anchorman
Lorna Wilson	...	Attorney General
Richard Zeppieri	...	Arresting Cop

Alternativ:

Farbe der Gerechtigkeit, Die (Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

95 Min

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe

Seitenverhältnis:

1.33 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Ultra Stereo

Altersfreigabe:

USA:PG-13

Firma:

Showtime Networks

Soundtrack:

Real Criminal

Some clichés but mostly very well made and provides no easy answers until a terribly clichéd ending

When a group of young black men run out of gas on a quiet road across from New York they get out to ask the motorist behind for help. However the woman motorist suspects the worst and one of the men tries to drag her out of the car to steal it. However the car phone allows the police to catch the 4 men and they are charged with the women's murder. The case seems relatively straightforward until activist Rev. Walton begins to turn to the media and makes the whole trial into a race issue, leaving the woman's husband and his lawyer frustrated by the direction of the media spin. But as one character says `This is America, it's all about race'.

When I approached this I assumed it would be a court room thriller TVM sort of thing with a good (if solid) cast. However after 20 minutes I was pleasantly surprised. It has all the trapping so a courtroom TV drama but it allows itself to be a lot more than that. In fact the actual case is really only the setting for a bigger picture. The film instead looks at race, justice and the media in America. It makes some very obvious and simple points (eg a newscaster is given the job because she is `of colour' and hence the network cannot be accused of bias) however it makes deeper better points as well.

The film's strength to me was the way it didn't give many answers but mostly raised issues without providing a way out – that was left for us to think about. We saw things on both sides of the arguments. This is best seen in the actual murder itself – the prosecution say it was an attack and the defence saying it was a misunderstanding that got out of control – we see it as an audience and it's difficult to tell who's right, it's a mix of both. This is the same throughout it's difficult to come down on either side of the fence.

The film does have weakness and it does use a bit too much character stereotyping to be great. The black men are a mix of the `gansgta type' and the `straight A student just trying to get outa da hood' type. Also the ending is, plain and simple, terrible. It is so bad and obvious that you can guess it now! It almost totally ruins the thoughtful debate that had gone before – it's like the makers couldn't end on a thoughtful note and just needed a normal thriller ending.

The solid cast are all very good (despite some stereotype and cliché) Abraham, Hines et al may not be great leading men but they hold this film up well and the support cast is full of well know faces that add to the idea of depth and quality.

Overall this is excellent. It may not be the best film ever made but lets not forget this is a TVM. It is thoughtful and never gives us easy answers – instead asking many questions. Only the occasional stereotype and a terrible, terrible ending spoil it by leaving a nasty taste in the mouth after a clever and well developed script had been well put on the screen.