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Law and Film: IntroductionAuthor(s): Stefan Machura and Peter RobsonReviewed work(s):Source: Journal of Law and Society, Vol. 28, No. 1, Law and Film (Mar., 2001), pp. 1-8

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JOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETYVOLUME28, NUMBER 1, MARCH2001ISSN: 0263-323X, pp. 1-8

Law and Film: IntroductionSTEFAN MACHURA* AND PETER ROBSON**

Whatwe havebroughtogethernthiscollections a selectionof contemporaryscholarshipnLawandFilm n arangeofjurisdictions. aw andFilmhas beena focus of the LawandSocietyAssociation t its AnnualMeetingshroughhe1990sandhas attractedcholarsromdifferent ackgrounds.We include ourpiecesfromGermany,hree romBritain,and four fromtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.nevitablyhe concentrationithinmostof theessays s, however, nthe dominant ulturalproducts f Hollywood.Thepaucityof materialotherthanAmericann theareaof law filmsis itselfanissue which s addressedn anumber of the essays presented here. We have provided a selectedchronologicalbibliography f writingon law and film at the end of thisintroduction. hisbibliographyndicateshow recenthas beenscholarlyworkonlaw andfilm andthe recentgenesisof thisscholarshipashelpedshape hevariednatureandstyleof theworkspresented ere.Not surprisinglyhereis no consensusaboutwhat to look at in law andfilm nor in what form these studies are best conducted.There is then avarietyof approacheso the issue of how film looks at law. Some of thewriters n this volume have basedtheiranalysison a wide rangeof films,whilstothershaveprovideda close readingof the workof eithera particularera, film-makeror writer. The interests and paradigms he writersadoptincludesocialtheory, iteraryheory,andfilm studies.Further, numberoffilms recur within the essays and are the subjectof analysisfrom thesedistinctiveperspectives.We welcomethisdiversitywhich is inevitable n afield of scholarshiphat seeksto cross traditional oundaries.There are a numberof strandsof inquirywhich have emergedin thiscollection.Threeprincipal reascan be identified.Thecollection ooks atthenatureof the filmsproducedportrayingaw andlawyers.Theessayslook atthe significanceandimpactof these law films on the public perceptionoflaw and the legal processand the influence on the practiceof law itself.* Law Faculty,Ruhr-UniversitatBochum,GebdudeGC 8/135, D-44780Bochum,Germany** The Law School, Universityof Strathclyde,173 CathedralStreet,GlasgowG4 ORQ,Scotland

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Finallythere s an assessmentof how andwhythe various hemes n writingon thetopicof law andfilm havedeveloped.First, t is importantorreadersto gain an appreciation f how the law film has developed.Nicole Rafterprovidesa briefguideto the differentkinds of films whichhaveemerged nthis area.In 'AmericanCriminalTrialFilms', she providesan overviewoftheirdevelopment rom 1930 to 2000. She identifiesand describesthreedifferentphasesof film-makingand locates them in their culturalcontext.Steve Greenfield akesup this themein his contribution Heroor Villain?CinematicLawyersandtheDeliveryof Justice'.He suggests hattherehavebeen differentemphasesover the years and that the unethical awyerhasalwaysexisted alongsidethe Atticus Finchfigure.The dominant hemeinlaw films has, however,been how the lawyerpursues ustice.The contrastover the yearsbetweenthe lawyerof the 1960s and the 1990s is a notionwhich Gerald Thain examines in 'Cape Fear - Two Versions and TwoVisions Separated y ThirtyYears'.MichaelBohnke, n 'Mythand Lawin theFilmsof JohnFord',takestheopportunityo explorethe whole questionof the natureandlegitimacyoflaw. He looks at the way Fordportraysaw in some of his workas beingimposedon societyand n otherworkhe stresseshowit emerges romsocialinteraction ndrepresents ommunityvalues. In the ratherdifferentcontextof inter-warGermany,Peter Drexler, in 'The GermanCourtroomFilmDuring he Nazi Period',pointsout how verydifferentkindsof films wereused in this periodto bolstera mythabout law. He describesa consciousmanipulation f law in film to reinforce a notion of communitywhichjustifiedNazi policiesof 'ethnic and social cleansing'.MathiasKuzina, n 'The SocialIssue CourtroomDramaas anExpressionof AmericanPopularCulture',ooks athow law films relateto the traditionof social issues film-making.In 'Patternsof Courtroom ustice',JessicaSilbeythenaddresses hecritiqueof David Black nLawin Film:ResonanceandRepresentationhat awyershavefailedto makeanycontributiono thedisciplineof film studies.Shegoesbeyond he dominant oncernsof lawyerswithfilm, whichMeyerandOsbornhavenoted,to look at thenarrative ndaesthetic onventionswhichtheHollywood aw films share. n herpaper henotesthetechniquesilm-makers aveusedto emphasizeaspectsof law andto involve the viewerin the story.Looking o thequestionsof significanceand mpact,StefanMachura ndStefanUlbrichexaminethe dominanceof Hollywoodlaw films in con-temporaryGermanpopular ultureandexplorereasons orthisphenomenon.In 'Lawin Film:Globalizing he HollywoodCourtroomDrama', hey alsodrawon NiklasLuhmann'systemstheory o provideanexplanationorthefascination f the filmindustrywith thelegalprocess.PhilMeyer ooksat theroleof cinema n the wayin which law is practicedn contemporary nitedStatescourts n 'Whya JuryTrial s MoreLike a MovieThana Novel'. Healsonotes theflattening ffectof adaptationntheir ourney rom heprintedpage to the screen. Peter Robson,in 'Adapting he Moder Law Novel:

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Filming John Grisham', takes up this theme of the relationship betweenfiction and film. He examines how the blockbusting book success of JohnGrisham has been transformed into film. He suggests that the adaptationprocess has produced a type of film which, perhaps surprisingly,beyond thesurface, emphasizes Grisham's concerns with the inequality of legal servicesand the parasitic natureof the legal profession in the American system.It is worth noting the context in which the examination of law filmsoperates. Not only does it operate in the professional sphere as Meyer notesbut it is an expanding area with higher education. In his essay 'BordersandBoundaries: Locating The Law in Film', Guy Osborn outlines thedevelopment of Law and Film as a sub-discipline within law schools inBritain and the whole question of what counts as the subject matterof suchinquiries. He -notesthat there are a range of educational reasons for film andlaw as a subject on the law school curriculum.From our experience teaching, presenting at symposia, and attendingconferences in the area of law, society, and popularculture,we feel that thiscollection provides a fair representation of the concerns and interests ofscholars working in this field. As can be seen from the bibliography, the fullrange of interests is, however, even wider than what can be presented in asingle collection. We are confident that work in this area will build on thesefoundations and that Law and Film will continue to provide a worthwhileand increasing input to legal education, theory, and even film studies.

SELECTED WRITINGS ON LAW AND FILM - A CHRONOLOGY1986-19991986A. Chase, 'Towards a Legal Theoryof PopularCulture'(1986) WisconsinLawRev. 527-69.A. Chase, 'LawyersandPopularCulture:A Review of Mass MediaPortrayals fAmericanAttorneys' [1986] 2 Am. Bar Foundation Research J. 297.1987T.J. Harris,Courtroom'sFinest Hour in AmericanCinema(1987).S. Macaulay, 'Images of Law in Everyday Life: The Lessons of School,Entertainment nd SpectatorSports' (1987) 21 Law and Society Rev. 185-218.R.C. Post, 'On the PopularImage of the Lawyer:Reflections in a DarkGlass'(1987) 75 CaliforniaLaw Rev. 379-89.S.D. Stark,'PerryMasonmeets SonnyCrocket:The Historyof Lawyersand thePolice as Television Heroes' (1987) 42 Universityof MiamiLaw Rev. 229-83.1989L. Friedman, Law, LawyersandPopularCulture'(1989) 98 YaleLaw J. 1579-1606.

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S. Gillers, 'TakingL.A. Law More Seriously' (1989) 98 Yale Law J. 1607-23.R.E.Rosen, 'EthicalSoap:L.A.Lawandthe Privilegingof Character'1989) 43Universityof MiamiLaw Rev. 1229-61.C. Rosenberg,'An L.A. LawyerReplies' (1989) 98 Yale Law J. 1625-9.1990A. Sokolsky, 'The Case of the JuridicalJunkie:PerryMason and the Dilemmaof Confession' (1990) 2 YaleJ. of Law & the Humanities189-99.1991N. Rosenberg, 'Young Mr. Lincoln: The Lawyer as Super-Hero'(1991) 15Legal StudiesForum 215-31.1992O. Castendyk,'Recht undRechtskultur.Das Recht im Fernsehenals "PopularLegal Culture" - ein vielversprechenderAnsatz aus den USA?' (1992) 25Zeitschrift iir Rechtspolitik63-7.P.N. Meyer, 'Law StudentsGo to the Movies' (1992) 24 ConnecticutLawRev.893-913.1993D.L. Gunn(ed.), The Lawyerand Popular Culture(1993).S. Greenfield and G. Osborn, 'Lawyers in Film: Where Myth Meets Reality'(1993) 43 New Law J. 1791-2.P.N. Meyer, 'VisualLiteracyand theLegal Culture:ReadingFilm as Text in theLaw School Setting' (1993) 17 Legal Studies Forum73-93.R. Sheffield, 'OnFilm:A Social Historyof WomenLawyersin PopularCulture1930 to 1990' (1993) 14 Loyola of Los Angeles EntertainmentLaw J. 73-114.1994E. Kennedy,'TheGorgeousLesbian in L.A. Law: The PresentAbsence?' in TheGood,theBad and the Gorgeous:PopularCulture'sRomancewith theLesbian,eds. D. Hamerand B. Budge (1994).C.L.Miller, '"Whata Waste,Beautiful,Sexy Gal, Hell of a Lawyer":Film andthe Female Attorney' (1994) 4 ColumbiaJ. of Gender & Law 203.K.J Neuhaus, 'JuraGoes Hollywood' part 1 (1994) 2 JUSTUF 36-42; part 2(1995) 1 JUSTUF34-40.N. Rosenberg,'Hollywood on Trials:Courtsand Films 1930-1960' (1994) 12Law and HistoryRev. 341-67.M.P. Schraf and L.D. Robert, 'The InterstellarRelations of the Federation:InternationalLaw and "StarTrek:TheNext Generation"'(1994) 25 Universityof ToledoLaw Rev. 577-665.R. Sherwin, 'Law Frames: Historical Truth and Narrative Necessity in aCriminalCase' (1994) 47 StanfordLaw Rev. 39-83.

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1995L.E. Grahamand G. Maschio, 'A False Public Sentiment:Narrativeand VisualImages of WomenLawyersin Film' (1995/96) 84 Ky. Law. J. 1027-73.S. Greenfield and G. Osborn,'Law's Imagery:The Representationof Lawyersin Film', Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference,Leeds 1995.S. Greenfield and G. Osbor, 'Where CulturesCollide: the Characterisation fLaw and Lawyersin Film' (1995) 23 InternationalJ. of the Sociology of Law107-30.S. Greenfieldand G. Osbor, 'The Living Law: PopularFilm as Legal Text'(1995) 29 The Law Teacher 33-42.C. Shapiro, 'WomenLawyers in Celluloid:Why Hollywood Skirts the Truth'(1995) 25 Universityof ToledoLaw Rev. 955.

1996M. Asimow, 'When Lawyers Were Heroes' (1996) 30 University of SanFrancisco Law Rev. 1131.R. Berets, 'ChangingImages of Justice in American Films' (1996) 20 LegalStudiesForum473-80.P. Bergman, 'PranksFor The Memory' (1996) 30 Universityof San FranciscoLaw Rev. 1235.P. Bergmanand M. Asimow, Reel Justice- TheCourtroomGoes to the Movies(1996).C.P. Blum, 'Imagesof Lawyeringand Political Activism in In the Name of theFather' (1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1065J. Denvir,Legal Reelism - Movies as Legal Texts(1996).J. Grant, 'Lawyers As Superheroes:The Firm, The Client and The PelicanBrief(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1111.S. Greenfield and G. Osborn, 'Pulped Fiction? Cinematic Parables of(In)Justice'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1181.R.M. Harding,'Celluloid Death: CinematicDeceptionsof CapitalPunishment'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1167.J.L. Harrisonand S. Wilson, 'Advocacy in Literature:Storytelling, JudicialOpinionsand TheRainmaker' 1996) 26 Universityof MemphisLawRev. 1285-302.P. Josephand S. Carton,'The Law of the Federation: mages of Law, Lawyersand the Legal System in "Star Trek: The Next Generation"' (1996) 24Universityof ToledoLaw Rev. 43-85C. Lucia, 'Women on Trial: The FemaleLawyerin the Hollywood Courtroom'in Feminism,Media and the Law, eds. M. Finemanand M. McCluskey(1997)146-67.I. Lurvey and S.E. Eiseman, 'Divorce Goes To The Movies' (1996) 30Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1209.N. Minow, "'An Idea Is A GreaterMonument Than A Cathedral":DecidingHow We Know What We Know In Inherit The Wind'(1996) 30 UniversityofSan Francisco Law Rev. 1225.

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L.J.Moran,'HeroesandBrothers n Love: The Male Homosexualas LawyerinPopularCulture' (1998) 18 Studies in Law, Politics and Society 3-27.C. Musser, 'Film Truth,Documentary,and the Law: Justice at the Margins'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 963.F.M. Nevins, 'Man In The Middle: Unsung Classic Of The WarrenCourt'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1097.B. Nichols, 'The Unseen Jury'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev.1055.J.J. OsbornJr., 'Atticus Finch-TheEnd Of Honor:A Discussion Of To Kill AMockingbird'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1139.D.R. Papke, 'Peace Between The Sexes: Law And Gender In Kramer vs.Kramer'(1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1199.P. Robson, 'Law and Lawyers in Film - GlobalisingAtticus Finch' (Law andSociety Association 1996).N. Rosenburg, ProfessorLightcapGoes To Washington:RereadingTalkOfTheTown' (1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1083.C. Ryan, 'LawyersAs Lovers: Gold Diggers Of 1993 Or "I'd RatherYou SueMe ThanMarryMe"' (1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1123.J. Seaton, 'Review of Bergman and Asimow's Reel Justice' (1996) 20 LegalStudiesForum 145-52.S. Shale, 'The Conflictsof Law and the Characterof Men: WritingReversalofFortune and Judgmentat Nuremberg' (1996) 30 Universityof San FranciscoLaw Rev. 991.C. Shapiro,'Do OrDie: Does Dead Man WalkingRun?'(1996) 30 UniversityofSan Francisco Law Rev. 1143.R.K. Sherwin, 'Cape Fear: Law's Inversion and CatharticJustice' (1996) 30Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1023.R. Strickland, TheCinematicLawyer:The MagicMirrorandthe Silver Screen'(1997) 22 OklahomaCity UniversityLaw Rev. 13.G.F. Uelmen, 'TheTrial As A Circus:Inherit TheWind'(1996) 30 UniversityofSan Francisco Law Rev. 1221.R.L. Waring, 'Z' (1996) 30 Universityof San Francisco Law Rev. 1077.1997J.P.Brooks, 'Will Boys Just Be Boyz 'N the Hood? African-AmericanDirectorsPortraya CrumblingJustice System in Urban America' (1997) 22 OklahomaCity UniversityLawRev. 1.A. Chase, 'SubterraneanGovernment,UndergroundFilm'(1997) 22 OklahomaCity UniversityLaw Rev. 167J.M. Burkoff, 'If God WantedLawyers to Fly, She Would Have Given ThemWings: Life, Lust and Legal Ethics in Body Heat' (1997) 22 OklahomaCityUniversityLaw Rev. 187.R. Coyne, 'Imagesof LawyersandtheThreeStooges' (1997) 22 OklahomaCityUniversityLaw Rev. 247.C.A. Corcos, 'Presuming nnocence:AlanPakulaandScottTurow TakeOnThe

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GreatAmericanLegal Fiction' (1997) 22 OklahomaCity UniversityLaw Rev.129.S.N. Gatson,"'It's About Law": Accessible Sourcesfor Law andSociety' (Lawand Society Association, 1997).P. Robson, 'BetweenDetachmentandViolence:ThePrivateEye and the Rule ofLaw in the Movies' (Law and Society Association, 1997).C.M. Selinger, 'Dramatizingon Film the UneasyRole of the AmericanCriminalDefense Lawyer:TrueBeliever' (1997) 22 OklahomaCity UniversityLawRev.223.1998S. Machura, RechtsfilmeundRechtsalltag'(1998) 10 RichterohneRobe 39-42.S. Machuraand S. Ulbrich,Recht im Film (1998).F.M. Nevins, 'ThroughTV's Golden Age on Horseback:Legal Themes inWestern Series 1949-1975' (Law and Society Association, 1998).P. Robson, 'TheJudgein Film' (Law andSociety Association AnnualMeeting,1998).B. Scholdan, 'The VirtuousLawyer:The Constructionof Citizenshipin LegalMelodrama'(Law and Society Association AnnualMeeting, 1998).1999D.A. Black, Law in Film: Resonanceand Representation(1999).S.F. Fulero, E. Greene, V. Hans, M.T. Nietzel, M.A. Small, and L.S.Wrightsman, 'UndergraduateEducationin Legal Psychology' 23 (1999) Lawand Human Behavior 137-53.2000M. Asimow, 'Divorcein the Movies: Fromthe Hays Codeto Kramerv Kramer'(2000) 24 Legal Studies Forum221-67.M. Asimow, 'Bad Lawyersin the Movies' (2000) 24 Nova Law Rev. 533-91.N. Rafter,Shots in the Mirror(2000).

WEBARTICLESTrial Run: Hollywood Goes to Court (http://www.amctv.com/ontheair/realtoreel/archives/trial.html)Articles from Picturing Justice website (http://www.usfca.edu/pj/articles/luscitationnoted).M. Asimov, 'Return of the Heroic lawyers ... and the Heroic Client: TheWinslowBoy and The Castle' (January2000 winslow_boy.html).J. Denvir, 'Chinatown'(March1998 chinatown.html).J. Denvir, 'TheLast Wave' (May 1998 LastWave.html).J. Denvir, 'The Law of Rules' (November 1999 ruleoflaws.html).J. Grant,'TheRainmaker'(December 1997 Rainmaker2.html).

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C. Jackson, 'JudgingJudgingAmy' (December 1999 amy.html).C. Jackson, 'Mamet's The Winslow Boy: Traps and Loopholes' (winslow_jackson.html).J.C. Suggs, 'Adams Ribs: Get 'em While They're Hot', Picturing Justice(March1998 AdamsRib.html).R.A. Waring, 'Civil Action - AnotherGovernmentBailout?' (February1999Civil_Action-Waring.html).R. Waring, 'Notfor OurselvesAlone and Salt of the Earth: The InterplayofGender and Race' (December 1999 gender.html).R.L. Waring, 'The Winemaker'(November 1997 Rainmaker.html).R.L. Waring,TheDevil's Advocate (November 1997 devilsad.html).R.A. Waring,The Sweet Hereafter(May 1998 sweethearafter.html)[sic]

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