Crime of the Century

Pas trop mauvais. Bonne re-création de l'histoire de l'enlèvement du bébé de Lindberg et de faire payer un innocent pour le crime. Le crime du siècle est en fait l'histoire du mec qu'on voulait coupable. Les vrais coupables ne sont pas inquiétés, évidemment. On est aux États-Unis!

Call me a bleeding-heart liberal, but I guess I'm a sucker for movies about people who are wrongly accused. This movie, however, failed to move me, even though I've read books on the subject and the case itself moves me. Rydell and Nicholson do a good job setting up the circumstances that led Hauptmann to become a suspect, and to even arouse suspicions in us, but the dialogue and individual scenes fall completely flat, because they're obvious and heavy-handed. To make matters worse, some of the actors, like David Paymer and Allen Garfield, seem to have been told they were in an over-acting contest. Walsh is good, as is the ever dependable Moriarty, but Rea seems lacking as Hauptmann.

This film, upon seeing the first few minutes, made me feel that it would be just like every other movie portraying a different perspective of the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case. But as the minutes dragged on I realized this was a touching story that makes the viewer really question the true outcome of the case over 50 years ago. This film made me look into the facts of the case, and 'Crime of the Century' portrays a popular and very possible outcome of the true case. For anyone who is an avid follower of the case, this movie is a must see. Rea's performance stirs the viewer to care for the accused Hauptmann and intends to set Bruno Hauptmann's side of the story straight.

Strangely Hollywood has been urged to expose some mediatic cases from the past, quite sure aiming for capitalize in highly viewing figures, it was the second TV movie over the so infamous Lindberg kidnaping case, a kind of revisionist offering likewise its forerunner made by Buzz Kulik in 1976, both openly in favor of the defendant the German carpenter Bruno Richard Hauptmann (Stephen Rea) the filmmakers emphasize the accused as clean persona, however everything suggest that he was really involved with the kidnapers gang.

Therefore the picture points out in an alleged not guilty setting, displaying countless contradictions concerning the weak proves against Hauptman, also focuse at his trustful wife played by a foreigner Isabella Rossellini due its hard European accent as major character in this hard case giving a impression that his husband was telling truth, the supporting casting improves the drama at high patten in time-period on thirties, fine locations and given a sort of semi-documentary realism.

Unfortunately the charitable screenwriter inserts some inaccurate facts as the Governor Harold Hoffman (Michael Moriarty) struggling hard over in another trial, worst visiting the inmate at prison, whereby it never really occurred, (go figure) looking back with an independent sharp eyes many questions remain unanswered such as "Why the filmmakers didn't touch over the accused had dropped his job after the kidnap living with a new car on flamboyant lifestyle?" Or "Why Lloyd Fisher didn't have a penny to pay his rent room?" "Why Hauptman didn't share with his wife the money hidden in garage?" Well it sounds controversial over a not guilty man!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1998 / How many: 2 / Source: Cable TV-Youtube / Rating: 8.

I have heard some references to the Lindbergh baby in some TV shows even though I don't remember exactly where. Here, the film mostly centres around how the police and the attorneys pin it on an innocent man. The debate on whether he was actually innocent or not is still going on but even if the movie is largely fictional, the fact that the police left so many loopholes and manufactured evidence and witnesses is pretty evident. The movie makes a great case of how a foolish immigrant man gets caught up in this because of his foolishness and the police exploit it and pin everything on him. This being a TV movie, Isabella Rossellini playing the wife is a surprise. But most of the cast were pretty brilliant. The sad thing is the various techniques used by the police to coerce so many people into different situations are still a very real thing that we can't escape. The belief of some people being the primary reason others suffer is always an evil that humanity can't seem to stop, whatever kind of belief it is. The confidence of people who are wrong is always what the world relies on to maintain the status quo.

The film could have been way better if it tried to be but as a TV movie, it felt it was limiting itself too much. Still, by the end, when the text appeared about what happened afterwards I really started to get emotional.