my mommy hurt my head.

Oct 18, 2010 03:06

Have any of you seen this (and/or read the original novel by Scott Turow)?



I watched it because it's one of the few legal dramas to take place from the prosecution's perspective (easily so because the prosecutor in question ends up becoming the defendant), and also goes into detail about what it's like inside the offices. Essentially, I was watching it to get some general Harvey Dent insight.

Instead, by the end, I realized that I'd just seen one of the biggest, um, "inspirations" for Jeph Loeb's Batman: The Long Halloween.

As B:TLH is probably the single most popular, well-known Harvey Dent related work--perhaps even considered the ultimate Two-Face origin by most?--I certainly plan to tackle that story here someday. I'd particularly focus on Harvey and Gilda's relationship, and what Loeb does with Gilda in comparison to how she's been depicted in the past.

I've ranted about the finale in the past, but seeing Presumed Innocent puts my criticisms in a whole new light, because Loeb was explicitly basing it all on another work (just as he was riding Miller's Batman: Year One and The Godfather throughout). Here I thought my problems with the big ending were with stuff that Loeb had come up with on his own, but no, they're problems that he actually modified slightly from problems I have with Scott Turow's most famous legal thriller!

If you're at all inclined, I very much recommend watching it. It's on Netflix Instant, if you have that. Or you join me in reading the book sometime, which I'm hoping will also yield some good insights into the daily workings in the life of a prosecutor. It's a fascinating film, while also being rather bothersome from in both sexist and cynical ways, and I'll absolutely be referring to it when the time eventually comes to rant about B:TLH.

legal matters, related media

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