Film and the Law

[Old Stagehand]

This book is concerned with the phenomena of law films. As well as a long and distinguished heritage (everyone it seems remembers Henry Fonda’s lone battle for justice in Twelve Angry Men) many modern films are also centred on law and lawyers (The Firm, Devil’s Advocate, Erin Brockovich etc). Films with a legal element have been used in the teaching of law for some time both to enliven teaching and provide a means to discuss substantial issues. More importantly, there is now a growing body of scholarly work that seeks to examine what legal films are about and what the content of such films contributes to our understanding of law and lawyers. This book has several aims that seek to set out the boundaries of the study of film and the law. It draws upon the work that has been produced to date, by both American and English law academics, but most importantly offers a critical analysis of the subject area is and where further study may take it.

The book uses as a starting point, the ways in which film has figured to date in the writing of those concerned with the phenomenon of law. Film & the Law looks at the major theoretical perspectives within which twentieth century work on law and film has appeared. The book draws out how law films can be classified and the characteristics of what we have named as sub genre.

The book is divided into two parts. Part I commences with a critical review of the work produced to date and then proceeds to analyse the general features and ideology of law film. This covers the law and lawyers, the use of ‘real life’ film (Let Him Have It, In the Name of the Father etc), the limited portrayals of judges and juries and alternative fora such as court martials. Part II looks at specific areas that have shared characteristics, and offers a detailed critical discussion of films in the area of; trial movies, private eyes and cyber law.

Regards