Compulsion
by Richard Fleischer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bradford Dillman, Dean Stockwell, Diane Varsi, E.G. Marshall, Orson WellesDirector: Richard Fleischer
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 4.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 103 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-05-23
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Compulsion
Movie Review: It doesn't completely work, but its redeeming features make it worth checking out...
Summary: 3 Stars
Loosely based off the truly heinous crime committed by the Loeb and Leopold boys, `Compulsion' is at times chilling and very effective; but still, there are moments (and even long stretches) where that affect wears off and leaves us with a half-hearted attempt at thrilling.
The film opens rather over-the-top and somewhat irritatingly as it introduces us to Judd Steiner and Arthur Straus. Straus is the obvious ringleader, bossy and controlling, while Judd almost cowers to his every whim in hopes of approval. Once the title of the film flashes across the screen these two actors (Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman) ease into their characters and actually pull out two very entertaining and realistic portrayals of sick young men vying for attention in all the wrong places. When their determination to `experience everything' gets the best of them and they go too far (murdering a young boy) they find themselves working up a convoluted story in order to free themselves from speculation, but as their story unravels they are left at the mercy of a jury and the District Attorney.
Insert Orson Welles as Jonathan Wilk, the boys' lawyer.
The film is essentially two halves of one whole. The first half is all about Steiner and Straus and their crime, while the second half is primarily about the abolishment of the death penalty. Welles closing arguments in particular are an outstanding example in persuasion as he attacks the concept of calculated murder in any instance; even court ordered. My problem is that the lack of focus leaves the films resulted moral rather unfinished. It just doesn't mesh as well as it could have. When you look at films like `Dead Man Walking', that tackled the same line of logic but with much greater results (due to a more eloquent and woven structure), you can see where this film missed the mark in areas.
The acting across the board is very good, especially from Stockwell and Dillman, who as I said really sunk into their characters. That opening scene ("Hit him!") was far too over-the-top, but once it was over the actors found their stride and stuck with it. Much has been said about Orson, and I personally consider him one of the greatest actors of all time, and one of the greatest influences on cinema, but his performance here was a little stale for me. In fact, the stand out supporting performance in my opinion comes from E.G. Marshall, who nailed the tough position of District Attorney Harold Horn. Just look at his facial expressions as Welles is delivering his final speech. Watch every word sink in.
Genius.
In parts this is a very well done film, and those parts make this more than worth checking out at least once. Whether or not you decide it is worth revisiting is completely up to your perception of the film. I like what it has to say, I just don't think it is as effective as it could have been in saying it. Some very good acting saves it from falling completely off the map for me; but as far as legal thrillers are concerned, this same year sports `Anatomy of a Murder', which is a much better film all around.
Summary of Compulsion
In this riveting true story about the notorious 1924 Leopold-loeb murder case, Orson Wells stars as the brillant Clarence Darrow whose history-making defense against capitol punishment saved two wealthy Chicago teenagers from a death sentence.Drama DVD Video
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