Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich

An unusual murder case tempts an ailing barrister back into action in this courtroom drama based on an Agatha Christie play.

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94% liked it

1,828 ratings

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100% liked it

22 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Release Date: December 1, 1957

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DVD Release Date: December 11, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (479)


  • October 22, 2009
    One of those films that shows how truly incredible films transcend time and place. Witness for the Prosecution had me gripped, more than any recent film has, or even tried to. Based on a play, the film is quite the talker, but every line of dialogue can only belong to the specifi...( read more)c character saying those lines. It's a great character piece, with dazzling bouts of verbal fisticuffs and procedural moments of tension. The performances are so strong, so different, and yet, play seamlessly off one another. The film ends with a request, not to divulge the secret ending. Out of admirable respect for this film, I shan't. However, I enjoyed, and was surprised by every turn.
  • May 2, 2009
    Whodunits are always interesting. A high-profile lawyer (Sir Wilfred Robarts) defends his client in court, but the client's wife provides some damning evidence. The court case gets resolved, but Sir Wilfred isn't happy as it seems too pat.

    What I found interesting is that this...( read more) movie was nominated for six Academy awards in 1957. Although it didn't win any of them, I was amazed it was considered Academy Award quality. I don't think it would be nominated today.
  • April 15, 2009
    Really good twists (plural) at the end! Laughton, who I have liked from a couple other performances in the '30s, plays an English Barrister. He's recovering from a heart attach and any extreme emotional stress could jeopardize his health again. This is the first film in which ...( read more)I've seen Power or Dietrich appear. I wasn't too impressed by either early in the story, but when I saw the surprises at the end, I had a whole new appreciation for the way they played their roles. There's a strong case against suspect Power for the murder of a wealthy older woman. Some flashbacks reveal his side of the story, but you don't get to know the victim very well. Power's wife Dietrich is puzzling in the way she reacts to the news of her husband being accused, in the way she interacts with Laughton, and in the way she becomes a witness for the prosecution against her husband. Power is very charming, especially with the ladies, and has no trouble eliciting sympathy from the public. But the story is really about the true mystery of this guy's innocence or guilt.
  • February 2, 2009
    Wonderful!!!

    First and foremost, there is the unique Charles Laughton. He steals the show. He is the example of what an actor should aim to be. Marlene is not too bad herself.

    Then there is the pleasure of earing the English accent, the pleasure of following step by step a tria...( read more)l in the old London.

    Just lovely dear.
  • June 30, 2007
    Great movie with an ending I never saw coming. Charles Laughton is always good, but Tyrone Power stood out for me as well.
  • October 26, 2009
    "My Lord, may I also remind my learned friend that his witness, by her own admission, has already violated so many oaths that I am surprised the Testament did not LEAP FROM HER HAND when she was sworn here today! I doubt if anything is to be gained by questioning you any furth...( read more)er! That will be all, Frau Helm!"

    Witness for the Prosecution (1957)


    Director: Billy Wilder
    Country: United States of America
    Genre: Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
    Length: 116 minutes

    Witness,Prosecution,Billy,Wilder,1957,Charles,Laughton


    Billy Wilder is undoubtedly one of the greatest (if not the greatest) American film director of the Golden Age of cinema, leaving several memorable and eternally referenced masterpieces behind, and Witness for the Prosecution is no exception. More than a simple and tense courtroom drama, Witness for the Prosecution is an extraordinary achievement with definitely one of the best twist endings ever put to the big screen. Plagued with extraordinary, top-notch performances thanks to the wonderful cast it possesses, the possible original intentions and power of the film are utterly strengthened, making it an underrated and pretty much unknown classic gem.

    Witness for the Prosecution is based on the wonderful play by Agatha Christie and tells the story of a man named Leonard Vole who is arrested for the murder of a rich middle-aged widow. Sir Wilfrid Robarts, an old lawyer who has just recovered from a heart attack and is not supposed to take any case, meets the mysterious and cold-blooded wife of Leonard, being inevitably tempted to take the case despite the constant warnings given to him. What follows is an endless spiral of epiphanies, deceptions and extraordinary confessions, leading to one of the most shocking and unpredictable endings ever filmed. The movie received 6 Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Recording, Best Director and Best Picture, losing all of them against the films Sayonara (1957) and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

    On a more personal note, it is interesting how Wilder resorted to the technique of portraying the particular respective backgrounds of the characters, perhaps with the main purpose of making the audience to get more familiar with them and providing psychological clues to unlock a shocking truth that awaits to be revealed. The direction is undeniably extraordinary, reaching the height of films like Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). What the performances accomplish is to add more believability to the situations that are presented throughout, as well as that odd, yet thrilling sensation that tells the conscience that something does not fit.

    Charles Laughton had always been a magnificent actor and this film confirms it once more. With the cold soul and mysterious personality of Christine Vole, masterfully played by actress Marlene Dietrich, they form part of an explosive duo of interesting and fully developed characters. Billy Wilder's direction and the adaptation made by Larry Marcus left too much room so Witness for the Prosecution could occupy a vast territory of cinematic brilliance in almost every single aspect, from the plot management to the overall direction.

    Evidently, the screenplay by Harry Kurnitz and Billy Wilder is as solid as a rock, providing stylish and accurate one-liners, a wonderful narrative structure, character development and plot justification. Incredibly smart moments can also be found throughout, from the work of Charles Laughton to the clues that are provided from the beginning of the film to its end, offering to the spectator the attractive possibility of putting the pieces together and slowly arriving to a very personal theory of the events. Wilder's attempt to make a courtroom drama was pretty much successful and proves the director's talent to conquer several cinematic genres.

    Witness for the Prosecution is a film full of suspense, a top-class cast and a brilliant screenplay with a very decent adaptation, easily belonging to the list of the best films of 1957. During the two whole hours, non-stop tension and occasional effective humor can be found, making of this film an absolute masterpiece, and although it is not precisely the best cinematic sample of what the genre has to offer, it is basically a must-see for any cinema fan, and not only a Wilder fan.

    92/100
  • October 15, 2009
    I can't tell you how much I enjoy these old classics, especially Billy Wilder's work. It's almost immaculate. Particularly I admire the wit and the style of his film-making, evident here as well. Marlene Dietrich is her legendary self, and Charles Laughton's unforgettable... Enjo...( read more)y!!!!!
  • August 15, 2009
    It's okay the first time.
  • August 5, 2009
    A brilliant classic. It definitely plays out alike a play, but stays very dynamic in its progression. And aside from the expected male chauvinist barbs that were common in Hollywood at the time ? though they are played for humor in this movie, it is very witty on the wordplay and...( read more) use of character. The movie is long in length and staid in physical action but very vibrant in its presentation.

    Dietrich was wonderful and I wouldn?t have thought of Power in a role like this. I was not familiar with Charles Laughton per se but he was great in this movie. I?ll take notice of him in others as he was a great presence. And the direction made me look more into Wilder?s non-comedy movies. A great story told with great control.
  • July 7, 2009
    Billy Wilder's brilliant courtroom drama was a bit slow, but kept me interested until the end. The shocking plot twist at the last 5 minutes of the movie was the cleverest I've ever seen.

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