Ajuste de Contas

This is an amazing film in many ways. It is a court case of universal significance, as it questions and challenges the entire system of justice. An ordinary law-abiding citizen (Robert Preston in his last film) buys a gun and uses it to premeditatedly kill the man who raped and murdered his daughter, who was brought to trial but released because of formal technicalities of the law. The father takes responsibility for his deliberate murder, but he still has to have a lawyer for the defence, and Beau Bridges becomes the lawyer, specially chosen for the case by the judge, who is Burgess Meredith. Another old veteran graces this film by his presence, and that is Mel Ferrer as the high court judge who had to release the rapist. Beau Bridges brings him on as a witness for the defence, and Mel Ferrer's demonstrative testimony proves the turning point of the case.

Seldom has a court case been so admirably acted and presented on film, it becomes more exciting than any thriller, as the whole audience and public gets involved and concerned parts of the case, and of course there is even the vulture parasite, the publisher who wants to make money on the outrage, played by the English show actor Anthony Newley, who made his debut as the Artful Dodger in David Lean's "Oliver Twist" 1948 30 years earlier. All the actors are brilliant and show their best, especially Beau Bridges, I have never seen him better, and Burgess Meredith as the acid judge, and of course Robert Preston in his final bow. It's a wonderful film and worth watching a number of times never to be forgotten.