Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial |
| Original title | Find Me Guilty |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2006 |
| length | 120 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Sidney Lumet |
| script | Sydney Lumet, TJ Mancini , Robert J. McCrea |
| production |
Bob DeBrino , Robert Greenhut , TJ Mancini, Bob Yari |
| music | Jonathan Tunick |
| camera | Ron Fortunato |
| cut | Tom Swartwout |
| occupation | |
| |
Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial (Original title: Find Me Guilty ) is an American court drama by Sidney Lumet . The 2006 released film is based on a true story and deals with the long lasting Mafia trial in the United States.
action
Jackie DiNorscio, known by everyone as Jackie Di, is shot by his own cousin Tony Compagna. After he was released from the hospital, he was arrested on a drug deal and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Meanwhile, his cousin has confided in the FBI for fear of Jackie's revenge . They are currently preparing a major case against the Calabrese family under the RICO Act . They also offer Jackie a cooperation against mitigation, but Jackie refuses. Eventually he is charged along with 20 other members of the Calabrese family. Since his last lawyer couldn't really help him, Jackie decides to defend himself.
At the beginning of the negotiation, Jackie takes on the role of the prankster. While it makes the jury laugh, it also creates anger in the ranks of the defense. During a lunch break, godfather Nick Calabrese threatens not to use his name again. After several months in which Jackie has literally turned the courtroom into a circus event, the judge gives him an ultimatum. And indeed: Jackie changes his behavior and tries to behave more seriously. However, the prosecution takes advantage of Jackie's every opportunity and weakness. During a body search shortly before Tony Compagna's interrogation, the situation escalates and Jackie is beaten up by the guards. He appears injured in the courtroom, but remains silent on the judge's questions and claims to have fallen. He later refrains from cross-examining his drug addict cousin.
After two years the process is over and the prosecution and defense are holding their closing arguments. The family's defense attorney argues that the defendants are only charged because of their Italian origins and that nothing has been proven. Jackie implores the jury not to punish his friends and separate them from their families, but instead to find him alone guilty, as he has to serve 30 years anyway. But after a sensational 14 hours of consultation, the jury acquitted the entire mafia family. Jackie returns to prison and receives applause from his fellow inmates. The credits mention that he served a total of 17 years, never cooperated with the authorities and returned to his family after being detained. He died in 2004 while the film was being made.
background
Sidney Lumet returns to its beginnings with Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial . With The Twelve Jurors , he had already made a similar film at the beginning of his film career, which however focused more on the interplay of the jury .
publication
Find Me Guilty was shown at the 2006 Berlinale and was nominated for the Golden Bear , but lost to Esma's secret - Grbavica . The Sony Entertainment DVD was released on December 20, 2007.
The film flopped at the box office, grossing just $ 2,631,343. However, the budget was 13 million.
The real case
The film is based on a mammoth trial from 1987 to 1988 in which 20 members of the Lucchese family were charged with conspiracy under RICO law . One of the main defendants, Jackie DiNorscio , took up his own defense. In fact, the dialogues in the courtroom are said to be based on transcriptions from trial observers. As in the film, the accused were acquitted by the jury after two years. Giacomo DiNorscio served 17 years of his 30-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and gambling manipulation . He passed away while filming Find Me Guilty .
Reviews
The portrayal of Jackie Di Norscio was especially praised. The action actor Vin Diesel won over the critics in a role he was unfamiliar with.
"Sidney Lumet presents himself as agile and precise as usual, and action star Vin Diesel surprises as an eloquent character actor in a subtle justice farce."
“Diesel is able to convincingly capture the charisma, the wit and, above all, the power of persuasion of the Mafioso on the screen. To do this, he not only had to put in the mask for two hours a day while filming, but also feed himself a few extra pounds with plenty of ice cream. With that he actually turned into "Fat Jack". Lumet took a risk by casting the protagonist, but made the right decision with Vin Diesel. "Find me guilty" is not an innovative and unique masterpiece, but a thoroughly entertaining, solid - well rounded - mafia court drama. "
Web links
- Find Me Guilty - The Mafia trial in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official website
- Official website (French)
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c G. Allen Johnson: In Lumet's latest, it's 20 angry men, one of them acting as his own attorney (and courtroom jester). SFGate , March 17, 2006, accessed October 28, 2011 .
- ^ Berlin International Film Festival. Internet Movie Database , accessed October 28, 2011 .
- ↑ Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial in the online film database
- ^ Find Me Guilty (2006) - Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 29, 2011 .
- ^ Inscription at the beginning of the film, Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial , DVD ( Sony Entertainment ) 2008
- ↑ a b Simone Seidel: Film info. (No longer available online.) Filmreporter.de, archived from the original on October 30, 2011 ; Retrieved October 29, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Roger Ebert : Find Me Guilty. March 17, 2006, accessed October 29, 2011 .
- ↑ Find Me Guilty - The Mafia Trial. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film Service , accessed October 29, 2011 .
