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Socialist Review Index (1993–1996) | Socialist Review 173 Contents
From Socialist Review, No. 173, March 1994.
Copyright © Socialist Review.
Copied with thanks from the Socialist Review Archive.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The Pelican Brief
Dir: Alan J. Pakula
We live in an age of corruption and scandal. In the US one of Clinton’s top advisers, who knew the truth about Clinton’s corrupt dealings, was killed in mysterious circumstances recently. A film like The Pelican Brief, with a plot based round the assassination of two Supreme Court judges in an attempt to fix a trial, should cut with today’s events.
A rich college student, Darby Shaw, played by Julia Roberts, writes a brief pointing the finger at the killer. When the highest levels in Washington find out, Darby Shaw’s life is put in danger.
Relentlessly pursued, Shaw contacts an investigative journalist, Gray Grantham, who with her seeks to expose the truth over the assassinations.
The film is good at portraying Darby Shaw as a terrified woman on the run and at pointing to the cynical use of power in Washington.
However, there is something dissatisfying about it. The plot is taken from the book by John Grisham but the political background is left out. So there is no feeling of the struggle between liberals and neo-conservatives over which way America should go. There is very little explanation of why two Supreme Court judges should be killed, or their pivotal role in American politics.
I had the impression that if you had not read the book the film would be extremely confusing. And the end of the film pulls its punches.
For a pleasant Sunday evening the film is good enough, but if you want something that fits this age of sex and financial scandals read the book. It’s much better.
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