Twilight (film)

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Movie
German title twilight
Original title Primal Fear
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1996
length 125 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Gregory Hoblit
script Steve Shagan ,
Ann Biderman ,
William Diehl
production Gary Lucchesi
music James Newton Howard
camera Michael Chapman
cut David Rosenbloom
occupation

Twilight is a thriller from 1996 based on the novel of the same name by William Diehl . The main characters are Richard Gere and Edward Norton .

action

Star attorney and criminal defense attorney Martin Vail from Chicago is taking on a new client in his city pro bono : Aaron Stampler. The young and shy-looking altar boy from Kentucky was caught covered in blood and charged with brutally murdering the Catholic Archbishop of Chicago. The prosecution is represented by Vail's former mistress, District Attorney Janet Venable, and accompanied by the prosecutor's office under the corrupt John Shaughnessy. Venable is very grateful for the chance, as the prosecutor's office thinks the case is surefire. Shaughnessy asks Venable to enforce the death penalty.

For Martin Vail the question of guilt or innocence is secondary, as he believes that every defendant has the right to the best defense possible. His thesis is that although Aaron was in the room (hence the traces at the scene of the crime and on his clothes), he did not commit the crime. He passed out. Vail bases his defense on a possible third person in the room as well as Stampler's missing motive. The archbishop had practically taken him off the street and was a kind of father figure for the defendant. Vail finds out during an investigation that the Archbishop has prevented some high-priced real estate deals and not all friends in Chicago. Shaughnessy, who is involved in the real estate deals, threatens Vail indirectly and advises him not to mess with the mighty of the city.

During the course of the trial, Martin Vail's team of lawyers succeeded in determining a motive for the accused: A video shows Bishop Aaron, his girlfriend and another person who ultimately drew attention to the video about sexual acts forces.

In addition, Vail and the dedicated psychologist Dr. Molly Arrington reveals that Aaron appears to be a split personality . Aaron's second self, called Roy and appears very self-confident, is said to have committed the deed. This explains the loss of memory and the proximity of the defendant to action. However, as is customary in American criminal justice, Vail cannot change his defense all at once during the trial and consequently cannot switch to insanity.

Although the video of the prosecution provides a motive, Vail sends the recording to the responsible prosecutor Venable, who takes the tape to court against the will of the chief prosecutor, who does not want to damage the reputation of the deceased and the church, and thus lists the missing motive. After Vail cross-examines Shaughnessy and discusses his involvement in the real estate deal, Shaughnessy's assistant whispers to Prosecutor Venable that she could look for a new job.

In cross-examination with the defendant, Venable attacks Stampler strongly and tries to urge him to confess. Suddenly, the effect that Vail hoped for occurs and Aaron becomes Roy, who immediately brutally attacks Venable. With this, the defendant's insanity is proven through the trial itself (and without Vail's change in defense strategy). The court recognizes Stampler's incapacity and admitted him to a psychiatric ward for a period of 30 days, which should decide whether Stampler should be detained in an institution or released. All those involved assume the latter, as Stampler does not normally pose a threat.

In a private farewell talk with his defender, Stampler reveals himself. It turns out that he is not deranged, but has just faked his split personality. In reality there is no troubled, shy and stuttering Aaron, just the confident Roy. So he committed the murder of the bishop willfully and culpably. In the end there are almost all losers. Vail's resolve to never ask the question of guilt is shaken, and the defeated Janet Venable loses her job. Vail stands dejected in the courtroom and leaves the building.

background

  • More than two thousand actors were reportedly cast for the role of Aaron Stampler, including Matt Damon , Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio . Edward Norton finally walked into the auditorium and put himself 100 percent in his role: he stuttered and was so convincing as an insecure guy that he was hired on the spot.
  • Edward Norton made his acting debut in a feature film in Twilight . His fee was $ 50,000.
  • Gregory Hoblit made his debut as a feature film director with Twilight and shot other successful thrillers, including Demon - Trau kein Seele and Frequency .
  • The quote by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (from the novel The Scarlet Letter ) plays a role in the process:

"No man ... can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one may be true."

"Nobody can put on a face for themselves and one for the crowd without in the end not being in doubt about which one might be the real one."

  • Aaron is based in the Cook County Jail in Cook County, Illinois .
  • The film grossed more than three times its production cost.
  • An Indian remake of this film called Deewangee was made in 2002 .

Awards

criticism

"Less concentrated, with spectacular twists and turns, the court film that offers captivating performance in the main roles, but only professional mediocrity in plot and formal design."

- Lexicon of international film
  • The critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3 ½ out of four stars and praised the multi-dimensional characters of the plot. Norton convinced and Gere offered one of the best achievements of his career.
  • The film got a 74% positive rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ box office results
  2. ↑ Twilight. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/primal-fear-1996 .
  4. ^ Primal Fear Movie Reviews, Pictures . Rotten tomatoes . Retrieved January 16, 2011