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Top 10 Courtroom Dramas

By Noelle Buffam · December 1, 2011

We love courtroom dramas. Flip on any television, and you’re sure to find the daily line-up of Law and Order (not just the original, but Criminal Intent, Los Angeles, UK,  and my personal favorite, Special Victims Unit). Yes, there is a rich history of television surrounding the legal system. Think of Boston Legal, The Practice, and Ally McBeal… even Judge Judy is a court system cash cow.

However, it doesn't stop with your favorite television heroes (coughcough… Benson and Stabler… cough). Courtroom dramas are celebrated in plays, novels, and of course, film.

Crime and civil litigation have stood against the test of time, proving that they are fantastic subjects for dramatic works. Whether its a story of a idealistic lawyer battling against injustices or a detective searching for the truth in a brutal murder case, courtroom dramas keep the audience on the edge of suspense: reasonable doubt or not.

At its core, it is so simple. Courtroom dramas are about the battle between good and evil, justice and injustice, right and wrong. And with the help of complex characters and a great storyline, the courtroom drama can result in a heart-pumping, sweat-inducing, masterpiece of a film.

As you will see, courtroom dramas deal with extremes. That’s what makes this genre so great. Sometimes the case deals with an unimaginable crime. Sometimes it takes a look at the complexity of the human mind. Whatever the case, a person’s life is on the line… and that makes for an intense story.

So bang that gavel. Court is in session.

10. In Cold Blood (1967)

In stark black and white, Richard Brooks tells the story based on the novel of the same name by famed author, Truman Capote.  In the film, career criminals Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson), plan a robbery of the Clutter family home in Holcomb, Texas. However things go terribly wrong. The two men brutally murder Mr. and Mrs. Clutter and the couple’s two children. While the men are able to evade the police as the investigation gets underway, they are eventually caught. They now must face not only their trial, but their own mortality. Based on the real life murders of the Clutter family in 1959, the film is a chilling account of the repercussions of two men’s atrocities. Not only is it a fascinating courtroom drama, but it also holds the title as one of the best true-crime films ever made.

9. The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Based on one of my personal favorite books of all time, The Caine Mutiny is the film adaptation of Herman Wouk’s famous work of the same name. The film was directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Stanley Kramer. Set during World War II, The Caine Mutiny tells the story of an unprecedented event on board a U.S. Navy destroyer minesweeper: a mutiny. At the center of the story is Willis Keith (Robert Francis), an ensign assigned to the U.S.S Caine. The ship is assigned a new captain, Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). While trying to turn the crew into proper sailors, Queeg is removed from his command by his Executive Officer after a particular incident. A trial of the mutineers unfold, and the sanity (or insanity) of Queeg is brought under speculation. The Navy trial must decide if the Caine mutiny was a criminal act, or an act of courage. Complex, intense, and thought-provoking, The Caine Mutiny endures as a classic court room drama.

8. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Dame Agatha Christie is the best selling author of all time. In fact, her novels have sold roughly four billion copies. It was just a matter of time before she ended up on a “Top 10 List”. In 1957, Witness for the Prosecution was adapted from Christie’s short story (and later play). Directed by Billy Wilder, the film tells the story of Sir Wilfred Robards (Charles Laughton), a British barrister. Although he has been ordered by doctors to not take on any courtroom cases, Robards takes up the defense of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power). Vole has been accused of murdering a wealthy, old widow. Things are further complicated when Vole’s wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich) declares that she was never legally married to the accused. More so, she plans on appearing as a witness for the prosecution. Considered some of his prime work, Wilder’s Witness for the Prosecution charms the audience with suspense and theatrics.

7. The Verdict (1982)

Paul Newman is right up there with Clint Eastwood in the “can’t do anything wrong” category. In The Verdict, Newman stays true to his reputation by playing Frank Galvin, a once promising lawyer turned alcoholic.  At first, Galvin pursues a medical malpractice case for selfish purposes. However, he soon discovers that the case has merit. Instead of taking a cash settlement, Galvin fights for true justice. While both Frank Sinatra and Dustin Hoffman were considered for the role of Galvin, Paul Newman shines under the direction of Sidney Lumet. The film went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actor. The Verdict lives on as a great, tension-filled courtroom drama about the power of redemption.

6. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a workaholic, advertising executive. One day he returns home to find his wife, Joanna (Meryl Streep), intent on leaving him. Saying that she needs to go “find herself,” Joanna leaves Ted with the couple’s young son, Billy (Justin Henry). Ted and Billy learn to cope with the absence of Joanna over a span of 15 months. However, just as things were getting to a state of normalcy, Joanna returns and a custody battle ensues.  The film takes a look at the divorce process, and the viciousness that can be the custody battle. The court process not only impacts the couple, but everyone around them… especially their son. Kramer vs. Kramer took home five Academy Awards (Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director). Not only is the film critically acclaimed, but under the direction of Robert Benton it refuses to take the easy way out, making it an authentic story about a reality for many.

5. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Written by Abby Mann and directed by Stanley Kramer, Judgment at Nuremberg was inspired by the Judges’ Trial before the Nuremberg Military Tribunal in 1947. The film centers around the tribunal in which four judges are accused of crimes against humanity for their actions during the Nazi regime in Germany. Judge Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy) attempts to understand how a defendant, Ernst Janning (Burt Lancaster), passed sentences that resulted in genocide. The film addresses the individual’s role in crimes committed by the state. More so, it emphasizes the individual choice between patriotism and justice. The film won two Academy Awards, and is noted for using real footage of U.S. military forces liberating concentration camps. Laden with an important message, Judgment at Nuremberg holds still as one of the most poignant courtroom dramas ever made.

4. A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men, based off of Aaron Sorkin’s play of the same name, revolves around the trial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. Almost all courtroom dramas boil down to one moment: the moment of truth. Maybe it comes in the form of a confession, a verdict being read, or a witness breakdown. In Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, it came down to the moment when Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson) takes the stand. You know it well. Lt. J.G. Daniel Kaffee accuses Jessep of ordering a code red. Under pressure, Jessep yells, “You can’t handle the truth!” The moment is one of the most famous in all of film history.  It even earned four Academy Award nominations (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, and Best Sound). With outstanding performances and a titillating storyline, A Few Good Men went on to be one of the best go-to courtroom dramas.

3. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Anatomy of a Murder was based off the novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker (under the pen name, Robert Traver). In the film, Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara) is arrested for the murder of a bartender. Manion, who claims the bartender raped his wife, is defended by a humble attorney by the name of Paul Biegler (James Stewart). Over the course of time, Biegler discovers Manion to be possessive and jealous. Soon, his case turns into a complex spectacle as Biegler searches for the truth. Interestingly enough, Voelker wrote the novel after a 1952 murder case in which he served as the defense attorney. Anatomy of a Murder came to be one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to address sex and rape. In fact, the film was banned in Chicago for its use of graphic language. Since then, Anatomy of a Murder has garnered a reputation as one of the best films about a trial ever made.

2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

12 Angry Menis a personal favorite of mine. Adapted from a teleplay by Reginald Rose, the film tells the story of a jury made up of 12 men,  who deliberate the guilt or acquittal of a defendant charged with murder. The film, directed by Sidney Lumet, deals with the concept of reasonable doubt. Not only that, but it addresses the tumultuous ride of reaching a verdict, and the clash of personalities within a jury. 12 Angry Men is not only recognized for the substance of its subject matter, but for the way it was shot. The film is noted for its near exclusive use of one set: save only for the opening scene inside the courtroom and a final scene outside of the courthouse. In fact, only three of the 96 minutes of the film is spent outside of the jury room. It is in this way that the film makes history. As A.H. Weiler of the New York Times wrote, “It makes for taut, absorbing, and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury room setting.”

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Based on the novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird has become synonymous with great courtroom dramas. The film deals with the heavy issues of rape and racial inequality as seen through the eyes of children. Scout (Mary Badham) is a six-year-old girl living in a small town in Alabama. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), takes on a case defending a black man against rape allegations. Suddenly, Scout and her 12-year-old brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), have to come out of their age of innocence and face the real world. The film, directed by Robert Mulligan, is considered one of the best films of all time. In fact, Atticus Finch was named the American Film Institute’s “Greatest Film Hero of the 20th Century.” Harper Lee herself stated that, “In that film the man and the part met… I've had many, many offers to turn it into musicals, into TV or stage plays, but I've always refused. That film was a work of art.”