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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

1956
Drama, Crime
1h 20m
Writer sets himself up to take murder rap to show the errors of circumstantial evidence. With a friend holding back evidence so he can prove his innocence at the last minute, he goes to trial (imdb)
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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

1956
Drama, Crime
1h 20m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 49.5% from 227 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(227)
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Rated 01 Nov 2009
65
48th
Fritz Lang's kiss-off to America. His frustration toward the studio is painfully apparent when watching this film. Although Dana Andrews and Joan Fontaine are quietly fantastic, the story is too caught up on trying to fool the audience to have a lasting impact. Flawed, but still enjoyable.
Rated 30 Jan 2012
55
43rd
Can't make my mind up about this one. The first half is interesting as Andrews and Blackmer set their plan in motion, but it loses steam once the courtroom stuff begins. There are twists aplenty, some of which are unexpected and exciting, but others that are ludicrous and illogical. Thematically it's a straightforward condemnation of capital punishment, but the very last act seems to contradict what the film had been trying to say and just left me scratching my head.
Rated 23 Jul 2009
71
29th
Great acting and an interesting premise directed by Fritz Lang should make for a compelling film. However, its many good qualities are undermined by Lang's complete inability to execute the key plot points in anything resembling an organic fashion. Time after time we get involved in the story only to be 'shocked' and by the end it not only hampers enjoyment, it undermines any value the story holds and any message it tries to convey.
Rated 17 Nov 2012
6
62nd
Well-paced story that draws you in - with a few surprises along the way.
Rated 02 Mar 2008
66
45th
# 678
Rated 25 Oct 2015
100
0th
"That's the end of every biography online, 'He was in Contempt, and then he died.'" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/07/episode-64-films-noir-of-fritz-lang.html
Rated 02 Dec 2011
60
20th
#794
Rated 19 Dec 2008
61
22nd
772
Rated 27 Nov 2009
70
82nd
Classic.
Rated 13 Nov 2013
5
18th
Solid film noir/courtroom drama. It has a few twists that may still surprise( probably not by today's expectations)
Rated 15 Sep 2018
2
21st
Contrived and didactic, one can't help but remember how, just a year later, Lumet would tackle the same themes about a flawed justice system and state-sanctioned murder with a more realistic understanding of characters that actually resemble humans. It then comes as a shock when Lang sweeps the legs from under his own film, leaving at least this viewer stunned and incredulous about what the hell happened. What's the point, and if the point is mere uncertainty, it's not presented very elegantly.
Rated 15 Jan 2010
63
26th
743
Rated 12 May 2015
74
32nd
Not badly made but the plot is irritating. Gets points for its coldness and simpleness.
Rated 20 Dec 2009
91
86th
Minimalist movie-making. Dark, unemotional, disturbing.
Rated 05 Jul 2010
57
14th
Two men scheme to expose the flaws of capital punishment by influencing a murder investigation with fake circumstantial evidence. It's a premise similar to Life of David Gale, and equally ludicrous. It does have some surprises, but they're even more absurd than the way I expected it to go. Dana Andrews pretty much sleepwalks through his part, and like most of Lang's noir, the direction is far too workmanlike. Lang's last American picture is one of his biggest duds. There's just no spark here.
Rated 29 Sep 2021
55
41st
I appreciate that you have to suspend disbelief when watching some films, indeed most films, but surely there is a limit in order for a film to maintain internal consistency. This film breaches that limit; as if Tom and Austin would not foresee that their plan would likely backfire with catastrophic consequences! However, it is entertaining watching them manipulate/undermine the legal system (in particular capital punishment), and the twist ending was a surprise for me.
Rated 12 Apr 2020
30
8th
Just a complete disappointment from Fritz Lang. An incredibly weak script that has no tension for the first hour of the film with lazy drama bombs at the end to make up for nothing happening earlier. Much of this could be overlooked if the pacing was quick and the visuals were interesting, but composition mundane and functional with none of the dramatic visuals noir is known for. There are many, many, maaaany pointless scenes in this because it goes into minute details of the "fake" murder.

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