Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent

PRESUMED INNOCENT, like most of director Alan J. Pakula's films is also a complex character study. Based on a best-selling novel by Scott Turrow, the courtroom murder mystery tells the story of prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) who is accused of murdering his former mistress, the beautiful and ambitious Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi). All the physical evidence points to him, and Sabich's "golden child" character is in deep trouble. His marriage, too, is in jeopardy as new twists of events leave his wife Barbara doubting Ford's innocence, and Sabich's boss Raymond Horgan, who is running for reelection, simply wants the killer caught before his campaign suffers. Ford's performance (somewhat against type based on previous roles) is excellent as the beleaguered attorney who seeks an end to his nightmare, calling acerbic defense lawyer and rival (Raul Julia) to his rescue. Cinematographer Gordon Willis (THE GODFATHER) and Pakula, who collaborated previously on KLUTE, have created a film of shadow and darkness in which great performances keep the audience riveted right up to the unnerving ending.