Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic 1950s courtroom drama has smoking, drinking, murder.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Witness for the Prosecution
What's the Story?
In WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, bad-tempered but brilliant barrister Sir Wilfrid Roberts (Charles Laughton) takes on a murder case against doctors' orders and finds out little is what it seems.
Is It Any Good?
During the end credits of this superb mystery drama, an announcer requests that the audience don't tell their friends the ending. This 1950s attempt to cap spoilers for Witness for the Prosecution still stands, as to experience the film's twists with no prior knowledge is something special. But the end is just one of many things that make this movie brilliant. From the start, director Billy Wilder balances comedy and mystery masterfully and the audience leans in further with each new revelation.
Given its elements, it'd be near impossible for Witness for the Prosecution to fail. There's a master director in Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot). Agatha Christie dreamt up the twisted tale. Laughton as Sir Wilfrid Roberts is in a perfect adversarial double act with Elsa Lanchester as his nurse. And as for Tyrone Power and his wife -- played by Marlene Dietrich -- getting to the bottom of their story is a blast. Dietrich is striking, enigmatic, unreadable, and utterly thrilling. Part comedy, part thrilling courtroom drama and a mystery until the very end, this is a quiet classic. Case closed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the twists and turns in Witness for the Prosecution. What did/didn't you like about them? What other movies have you seen that have had similar surprises?
Talk about the trial process in the movie. Why is it important that people are given a fair trial if they are accused of a crime? What do you think makes a trial fair?
How were alcohol and smoking represented? Were they portrayed as being cool or appealing? Were there consequences for using them? Why does that matter?
The movie was made in the 1950s. How did the film compare to those made today? What were the key differences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 6, 1958
- On DVD or streaming : December 11, 2001
- Cast : Charles Laughton , Tyrone Power , Marlene Dietrich
- Director : Billy Wilder
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : United Artists
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : November 27, 2021
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