Al Pacino au sommet de son art (… And Justice For All)

Al Pacino

“… And justice for all” est un film de 1979 où Al Pacino (Arthur) joue un jeune avocat déchainé et idéaliste, aux prises avec le juge Fleming. Arthur a été emprisonné pour avoir envoyé son poing à la figure du juge Fleming, qui refusait son appel (le client d’Arthur était effectivement innocent). Rien ne va entre les deux hommes jusqu’au jour où Fleming est accusé de viol, et demande à Arthur, étonné, de le défendre: Fleming se dit qu’il n’y rien de mieux qu’un homme, connu publiquement comme son ennemi, pour clamer son innocence (il est en fait coupable). Et pour s’assurer qu’Arthur s’exécute, Fleming le fait chanter. Arthur accepte, mais le jour du procès, se retourne dans sa plaidoirie contre son client, dans un déchainement de passion comme seul Al Pacino sait en faire!

Au delà de la performance d’acteur, Al Pacino montre admirablement qu’on ne peut faire chanter celui qui peut renoncer à tout (ou presque!)

Cette vidéo de la plaidoirie finale correspond à la transcription ci-après.

Judge Rayford: The prosecutor has completed his opening statement. Defense counsel ready?

Arthur Kirkland: Yes your honor. Your honor, Mr. Foreman, ladies and gentlemen of the jury my name is Arthur Kirkland and I am the defense counsel for the defendant Judge Henry T. Fleming. [Now that man over there, he's the prosecuting attorney. And he couldn't be happier today. He is a happy man today because today he is going after a judge. And if he gets him, if he gets him, he's gonna be a star. He's gonna have his name in this months Law Review, centerfold. Lawyer of the month. Now in order to win this case, he needs you, naturally. And you're all he's got, believe me.] So he’s counting on tapping that emotion in you which says let’s get somebody in power. Let’s get a judge. However these proceedings are not about that. These proceedings are here to see that justice is done. And justice is as any reasonable person will tell you, is the finding of the truth. And what is the truth today? One truth, a tragic one, is that that girl has been beaten and raped. Another truth is that the prosecution doesn’t have a witness. Does not have one piece of substantiating evidence other than the testimony of the victim herself. Another truth is that my client, voluntarily and the prosecution is aware of this fact, voluntarily took a lie detector test…

Frank Bowers: Objection your honor! That’s inadmissible evidence! Come on Arthur…

Arthur Kirkland: …told the truth.

Judge Rayford: The jury will disregard that remark. Polygraph tests have not been proven 100% reliable therefore inadmissible in a court of law.

Arthur Kirkland: Sorry your honor. Let’s get back to justice. What is justice? What is the intention of justice? The intention of justice is to see that the guilty people are proven guilty and that the innocent are freed. Simple isn’t it? Only it’s not that simple. However it is the defense counselor’s duty to protect the rights of the individual as it is the prosecution’s duty to uphold and defend the laws of the state. Justice for all, only we have a problem here. You know what it is? Both sides want to win. We want to win. We want to win regardless of the truth and we want to win regardless of justice, regardless of who is guilty or innocent. Winning is everything. That man there wants to win so badly today, it means so much to him, he is so carried away with the prospect of winning, the idea of it, that he forgot something that is absolutely essential to today’s proceedings. He forgot his case. He forgot to bring it. I don’t know, I don’t see it do you? The prosecution’s case, he has got to have one. Not a witness, not one piece of substantiating evidence other than the testimony of the victim herself. Ladies and gentleman of the jury I have the case to end all cases. I have witnesses for my client, I have character references, testimonials that are backed up from here to Washington D.C. I got lie detector tests that are …

Frank Bowers: Objection! Objection!

Arthur Kirkland: Sit down Frank!

Judge Rayford: Mr. Kirkland you are out of order!

Arthur Kirkland: The one thing that bothered me, the one thing that stayed in my mind and I couldn’t get rid of it, that haunted me, was why? Why would she lie? What was her motive for lying? If my client is innocent, she’s lying. Why? Was it blackmail? No. Was it jealousy? No. Yesterday I found out why. She doesn’t have a motive. You know why? Because she’s not lying. And ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution is not gonna get that man today. No. Because I’m gonna get him! MY CLIENT, THE HONORABLE HENRY T. FLEMING SHOULD GO RIGHT TO FUCKING JAIL! THE SON OF A BITCH IS GUILTY! THAT MAN IS GUILTY!

Judge Rayford: Mr. Kirkland!

Frank Bowers: Arthur!

Arthur Kirkland: That man there….that man is a SLIME! He is a SLIME! If he’s allowed to go free then something REALLY wrong is going on here.

Judge Rayford: Mr. Kirkland! You are out of order!

Arthur Kirkland: YOU’RE OUT OF ORDER!! YOU’RE OUT OF ORDER!! THE WHOLE TRIAL IS OUT OF ORDER!! They’re out of order! That man! That sick, crazy, depraved man raped and beat that woman there and he’d like to do it again, he told me so. It’s just a show! It’s just a show! It’s “Let’s make a deal”…, let’s make a deal! Hey Frank, you wanna make a deal? I have an insane judge who likes to beat the shit out of women. What do you want to give me Frank? Three weeks probation?

Frank Bowers: Dammit!

Arthur Kirkland: [to Judge Fleming] You, you son of a bitch, you! You’re supposed to stand for something! You’re supposed to protect people! But instead you are a fucking murderer! You killed McCullaugh, you killed him! Hold it! Hold it! (He is dragged out by cops) I’ve have just completed my opening statement!