Witness for the Prosecution (1982)
1h 37m | PG-13
Sir Wilfred Robarts, a famed barrister is released from the hospital, where he stayed for two months following his heart attack. Returning to the practise of his lawyer skills, he takes the case of Leonard Vole, an unemployed man who is accused of murdering an elderly lady friend of his, Mrs. Emily French. While Leonard Vole claims he's innocent, although all evidence points to him as the killer, his alibi witness, his cold German wife Christine, instead of entering the court as a witness for the defense, she becomes the witness for the prosecution and strongly claims her husband is guilty of the murder.
Director: Alan Gibson
Studio: Rosemont Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Video: 720p
Cast
Diana Rigg
as Christine Vole
Ralph Richardson
as Sir Wilfred Robarts
Deborah Kerr
as Nurse Plimsoll
Beau Bridges
as Leonard Vole
Donald Pleasence
as Mr. Myers
Wendy Hiller
as Janet Mackenzie
Reviews
The 1957 version of this story is certainly one of my favourite films, so any remake was always going to be a tough ask. This one is, however, a decent and characterful effort with Sir Ralph Richardson as curmudgeonly barrister "Sir Wilfred" who is charged with the seemingly impossible task of defending "Leonard Vole" (Beau Bridges) from a charge that he murdered an older lady with whom he was friends - and who had left him great deal of money! The ensuing courtroom drama is tense and with strong supporting performances from Donald Pleasence as opposing counsel ("Mr Myers") and Dame Wendy Hiller as her maid "Janet Mackenzie" well paced. Sadly, though, neither Beau Bridges nor Diana Rigg manage to raise their game as the accused "Vole" and his highly duplicitous wife "Christine". Their performances lack the grit and sophistication required to keep the tension going and although Sir Ralph is certainly in his element as the formidable barrister, he hasn't quite enough strength to carry the others as Laughton managed to 25 years earlier. That said, it's still a good watch and as TV movies go, certainly one of the better of this genre with good attention to detail and a rather lovely old Rolls Royce.