The film portrayed the central characters similarly to the book. The “Gideon’s trumpet was interesting in the sense that it was able to show the events that took place during the actual court case involving Gideon v. Wainwright. The main theme of the movie is the right of the accused to a counsel and to have legal representation during criminal trials. The character who portrayed the part of Clarence Earl Gideon was Henry Fonda (Avery 212).
The character of Gideon was an exact replica of the persona presented in the book as the man from Florida, who was a stubborn and not well educated and was able to win the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was sentenced to be detained in the Florida penitentiary for five years for breaking into a Florida poolroom and for the crime of larceny, which he claims that he did not commit. He requested for the assistance of a lawyer to represent him during the trial but his request was denied. He was then forced to represent himself during the trial, and thereafter received his conviction and ordered to serve a sentence of five years in prison. He was determined and convinced that he has the right to be represented by a counsel and made a hand written petition in pencil to the U.S Supreme Court. The Supreme Court accepted his case and later assigned a lawyer in the person of Abe Fortas to represent Gideon and the rest was history.
The movie was able to show the persistent character of Gideon, who despite being in prison was able to perform extensive research work on the right of the accused to a counsel by going through some of the law books in the prison library. Armed with his determination and will power, he made a hand-written appeal in pencil to the Supreme Court for being denied the right to a counsel and such decision was rendered by a judge who used the Florida law as the basis for such denial (Lewis 5). Gideon cited the 6th Amendment’s right to counsel to all persons who are charged with a felony, and regardless of whether the accused can afford to pay the services of a lawyer. The classic case of Gideon v. Wainwright was the case which initiated the creation of the Public Defender system in the U.S.
The movie made a remarkable portrayal of Fonda just like in the book. Equally impressive is the character of Abe Fortas, played by Jose Ferrer who did justice to his role as Gideon’s lawyer. He was a brilliant lawyer and made the audience believe in the cause of his client, even though the character of Gideon is not as pleasant and appealing. Some of the highlights of the film is that it was able to present the reality the Abe Fortas and Gideon are entirely different from each other and worlds apart in terms of education, social standing, and life history but they agreed on one thing, which to give justice to the cause of Gideon determined to win the legal battle.
The character of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was also notable since the audience was amazed at how the legal system in the country works. Such movie became one of the must-see movies for those who worked in the legal system especially for the lawyers since it became a reminder that the Constitutional guarantees of the accused should be protected. It is important to keep the principle of justice and give it to any person who is entitled to it. It made an impact not only to individual citizens, but those who make us the legal work force, particularly the judges and clerks of courts who should not only perform their work because they have to. Hence, every case that has filed appeals and petitions in court should be carefully reviewed and given consideration if the accused is entitled to such relief.
The movie was slightly different in some scenes where it is obvious that the summer camp for adult men that was shown in the movie was a bit pacified compared to the real summer camp that was described in the book. At the same time, the movie also showed how court staff even though how obnoxious and persistent he or she may seem, could end up with being included in the published court opinion issued by the U.S. Supreme Court opinion due to inaction (McHugh 1). The movie was consistent in emphasizing the role of the judiciary in the American system of government just like in the book. It is an inspiring film in the sense that all persons should be given his or her day in court, whether rich or poor. The movie promotes equality and fairness when it decided to hear Gideon’s case and considered to give him legal representation.
The film was able to show most parts of the book. The stellar performances of Ferrer and Fonda were notable, particularly the character of Abe Fortas, as the lawyer of Gideon, and later on became the future Supreme Court Justice. The character of Fortas was able to explain and argue before the Supreme Court that Gideon was denied of his Constitutional right to be represented with a counsel when his case was being tried. The law in Florida should be amended since it only provided counsel to the defendants who had been charged for the crime of capital murder. Thus, since Gideon was not accused for such a crime, he was deprived of the legal representation despite his innocence, which later resulted to his conviction.
In my opinion, there was nothing important that was left out in the film since it was able to show the important criminal proceeding such as the counting of votes of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court which overturned the conviction of Gideon. Since he had already served two years in prison for the alleged crime to which he was charged, which he did not in fact commit, he can no longer be charged for the same crime twice in violation of the principle of “”double jeopardy”. Thus, in effect, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a favorable decision by acquitting Gideon and setting him free.
The most important parts of the book were shown in the film and there was no scene that was omitted that will likewise change the effect of a poor man’s determination. Gideon’s perseverance only shows that he was able to save himself through self-education about the law while he was still in prison. Even though he was not a lawyer, he was determined to fight for his rights upon honest belief that he did not violate the law. Thus, the landmark case of Gideon showed the world that even the poor and oppressed are entitled to equal rights. In the principle of social justice, those who have less in life should have more in law and even ordinary people like Gideon can appropriately file their petition to the highest court that led to his sweet victory.
In my opinion, the movie did justice to the book in the sense that it was able to convey the essence of the story through the characters since the actors were very good. The portrayal of Fonda and Ferrer of their characters was excellent that the audience was moved by the compelling story of a poor prisoner who brought his case before the Supreme Court that will eventually change the law of the U.S. Such movie is one of the best movies involving a legal battle because it focuses on the rights of the accused. There was palpable error committed by the judge from Gideon’s earlier trial who denied him of his right to a counsel. Thus, in order to appeal his case even without the assistance of a lawyer, Gideon took the initiative to study the law while he was detained in prison. Armed with self-discovery and his own interpretation of the law, he had the courage to file a hand-written appeal to the Supreme Court and prayed that he be allowed his day in court with the assistance of a lawyer.
At this instance, the film was able to highlight on the importance of due process. A person who has been charged of a crime should have the right to be heard and defend himself. In the case of Gideon, the decision of the Florida judge was misplaced by relying on the Florida law that only those who committed capital murder should be represented by a lawyer. The Constitution has declared that one of the basic rights of the accused is to have a lawyer to defend him during the trial of his case.
The movie did a better job in bringing the characters alive compared to the book since it was interesting to see actors who will portray the role of Gideon and his lawyer, Abe Fortas. The dialogues used, the acting and the scenes in the court room when taken all together will bring out the message of the film. The performance of the entire cast made it easier for the audience to understand the story because there are instances when readers have different interpretations of the events shown in every chapter of the book. In this particular movie, the entire cast members were able to give stellar acting performances to retell the story of Gideon. The director did an excellent job together with the cinematography and lighting used in the film. Overall, the movie did a better job in conveying the essence of the story since the characters were brought to life through the acting performances and dialogues. Thus, the landmark case of Gideon was able to show to the whole world that even the poor have equal rights and opportunities under the law. Such message in the story was in keeping with the principle of social justice, where those who have less in life should have more in law. It was inspiring to watch the movie and realized that even ordinary people like Gideon can have their day in court and eventually led to his freedom.
Works Cited:
Avery, Michael. We Dissent: Talking Back to the Rehnquist Court, Eight Cases That Subverted Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. New York: New York University Press, Print.
Lewis, Anthony. Gideon’s Trumpet. New York: Random House, Inc. Print.
McHugh, Daniel. “Movie Review: Gideon’s Trumpet. National Institute for Trial Advocacy”. Web. Retrieved on February 19, 2016.
