THE VERDICT: Blu-ray (2oth Century-Fox 1982) Fox Home Video

In retrospect, Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict (1982) is a somewhat predictable, yet understated court room clunker that attains its high stakes drama solely through its investment in the main character, Frank Galvin (Paul Newman). Originally intended as a vehicle for Robert Redford, David Mamet’s screenplay stayed so relatively subdued and faithful to Barry Reed’s novel that Redford eventually bowed out, fearful that playing a ‘has been’ alcoholic would impugn his reputation as Hollywood’s golden boy. The role, thus went to Paul Newman who, having entered his emeritus years still with all the star-drawing power of a handsome leading man intact, is a rather tough sell to buy as the aged, careworn and boozing attorney at law.  Newman plays Galvin with great purpose and resolve and it earned Newman an Oscar-nod as Best Actor (he lost the little gold bald guy to Ben Kingsley’s performance in Gandhi). The Verdict is a fairly straight forward melodrama. The rights to Barry Reed’s novel were initially snatched up by the successful producing team of Richard Zanuck and David Brown. While many actors expressed their interests to partake - Roy Scheider, William Holden, Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Dustin Hoffman among them – Zanuck and Brown approached Arthur Hiller to direct. Alas, Hiller was appalled by Mamet’s screenplay. As Zanuck and Brown were none too keen on it either, they commissioned a complete rewrite from Jay Presson Allen. Satisfied with this draft, Brown next approached Robert Redford, who approved of the project – in theory – but intensely disliked Allen's screenplay. Redford suggested James Bridges as both the picture’s writer and director. And while Bridges did extensive rewrites, none satisfied Redford’s tastes. Ultimately, Redford and Bridges both left the project, at which point Sydney Pollack entered negotiations.

But Zanuck and Brown preferred Sidney Lumet, sending him all of the many drafts to consider. As Lumet believed every alteration had veered further and further away from Reed’s originally grittier tale, he pronounced Mamet’s original superb and assumed the reigns from there.  Shown the work already done on the project, Paul Newman, who ultimately agreed to do the film, concurred with Lumet.  Plot wise: Attorney Frank Gavin has hit rock bottom. A one-time hot shot reduced to ambulance chasing and peddling his wares inside funeral homes until he gets kicked out, Frank also indulges in pinball and binges at his local pub in Boston. His biggest thrill now is picking up one-night stands. Frank’s colleague and mentor, Mickey Morrissey (Jack Warden) is also his most devoted friend. He believes in Frank even when Frank doesn’t in himself. After Frank is approached by Sally Doneghy (Roxanne Hart) and her husband, Kevin (James Hardy) about a case involving medical negligence and malpractice, Frank decides to pull himself up by his bootstraps and take on a trio of reputable surgeons at a noted hospital.

However, Frank’s biggest opposition proves to be defense counsel, Ed Concannon (James Mason, in his final film role) – a wily old man who knows the law like the back of his hand and is not afraid to use any tactic necessary to win his case. To this end, Concannon befriends the presiding judge, Hoyle (Milo O’Shea) – who also has a more personal agenda against Gavin. Concannon also assigns a spy, Laura Fischer (Charlotte Rampling) to seduce Frank in between alcoholic bouts and bleed him for information about the case. Frank’s eventual discovery of her treachery leads to one of the film’s most memorable confrontations. Hampered by ineffectual witnesses and a failure to locate the admitting nurse, Kaitlin Costello (Lindsay Crouse), Frank goes to trial with the barest of essentials – a fighting will and understanding heart – all the while harboring the deep suspicion that he will lose his case in the end.

The Verdict is a subdued melodrama, its’ appeal squarely centered on Newman’s broad shoulders and his unwavering ability to command the screen when all else fails. Director, Sidney Lumet is dealing with relatively pedestrian material here. In retrospect, the movie plays like a glorified episode of TV’s Law & Order without even that show’s sustained and methodical pacing. At times, Mamet’s screenplay seems to be struggling, not just for something intelligent, but just for something to say. Then again, The Verdict is hardly a film noted for either its last act crescendo or narrative twists. What remains compelling and sustaining throughout are the performances; most notably Newman’s, with good solid turns from James Mason and Jack Warden. All three are functioning at superlative levels with Newman’s laconic loner dominating every frame. Mason’s seasoned neurotic is diabolically on point. Warden does ‘his pal Friday’ proud. In the last analysis, The Verdict may not be a film you will remember for its story, but it certainly stands out as an actor’s dream.

The Verdict has been sourced from an old master. And although it could have looked far better in hi-def than it does currently, the image is passable, if marred by a lot of speckling and heavy, unresolved grain to adopt a fairly muddy texture throughout. As it appears no untoward DNR or artificially sharpening has been applied, the image is nevertheless consistent and lacking in edge enhancement. But overall image clarity is only average and this is not as it should be. There’s also a slight crush in shadows with pallid flesh tones and anemic contrast levels. We get a 5.1 DTS re-mix and the original 1.0 DTS mono – preferred for this primarily dialogue-driven movie with no real opportunities to distinguish itself as an immersive stereo mix. Extras are limited to an audio commentary from Lumet and Newman, carried over from the DVD release, plus the original theatrical trailer.

FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

3

VIDEO/AUDIO

3

EXTRAS

1