20 Most Inspiring Movies Of All-Time
13. And Justice For All
A lesser known film than many other on this list, Al Pacinos 1979 movie came during a golden period for the actor and was the last of his four 1970s Best Actor nominations (the others coming from Serpico, The Godfather Part II and Dog Day Afternoon). This film isnt initially an obvious contender for an inspirational film but in fact develops through its running time into a great story of a lawyer being beaten down by the system and taking on a vicious bully.
Arthur Kirkland is a Baltimore defence attorney that sees, almost every day, how the law lets down those that need help the most. Abandoned by his parents as a child, Arthurs idealistic notions regularly get him into trouble. One of his clients has been wrongly imprisoned after being mistaken for a killer and, after eighteen months, Judge Fleming throws out the evidence leaving the client to receive brutal beatings and rapes in prison.
Another client, transgender Ralph Agee, has been arrested on a minor charge but is already lost in the prison system. Just when Arthur thinks things cant get any worse, he is surprisingly asked to defend the aforementioned bully, Judge Fleming, after the latter is accused of rape. The Judge feels that being defended by someone who publicly hates him will actually highlight his innocence. After seeing clients die because the law and lawyers and judges that dont care, Arthur is pushed to the limit just before Flemings case when the judge leans in and says hed happily rape the victim again.
Arthur then stands before the court and, in a brilliant ten minute speech, takes down the notion of justice for all by shouting that Fleming should go right to f*cking jail, the son of a b*tch is guilty. This is a brilliant film played with both humour and horror as Arthur slowly gives up. Pacinos hangdog eyes are never better than here as he helps the senile grandfather he loves (Lee Strasberg), tries to romance Christine Lahti and is pushed to the brink by John Forsythes lecherous Fleming.
The final scene is a brilliant moment and is perhaps one of the best examples of taking down both the system and a very violent, manipulative bully.