Most courtroom dramas that hit the European screens, are American movies. Of course, Hollywood has quite a tradition in making good courtroom thrillers. From the genre-defining 'Twelve Angry Men' to modern examples like 'Runaway Jury' or 'A Few Good Men', they all focus on the dramatic events during a courtroom trial. It's films like these that have made sentences like 'Objection, your honour!' familiar to all audiences in the Western world.
It is refreshing that Flemish director Jan Verheyen has tackled this genre in his own way. He is mostly known for commercial, mainstream movies aimed at large audiences. 'Het Vonnis' ('The Verdict') is no exception, but there is a difference. This film is more than just entertainment. Verheyen also wants to tell the audience something. He is upset by the way some criminals escape their punishment because of mistakes made by the prosecution.
'Het Vonnis' tells the story of such a mistake. The story setup is brilliant: a man sees his wife and daughter being killed before his eyes. The murderer is found, but not convicted, because his lawyer finds a mistake in the charges: on one of the documents, the signature of the prosecutor is missing. Senseless with grief and anger, the man decides to kill the murderer and let a jury in court decide if he is guilty or not. The trial is as much about the Belgian justice system as about the crime itself.
The film has some fine moments. The first few minutes, during which the lead character sees everything he cares about shattered and destroyed, are very good. The director creates intensity with some creative aerial shots and fast focus changes. The courtroom scenes at the end are another highlight. Verheyen chooses to muffle the sound of the judge reading the final verdict, but he shows in an indirect way if the suspect is guilty or not. Another nice creative choice is to not show the murder itself, except by short flashbacks during the trial.
Of course, the film will mainly appeal to Belgian audiences. There are some nice shots of Antwerp, and fun cameos by well-known Flemish reporters and experts. Commercial television broadcaster VTM co-produced the film, which is why there are quite a few shots of news reports and popular shows.
Verheyen clearly makes his point about the justice system. Sometimes, it is so occupied with following the strict rules, that injustice is the inevitable result. But his suggestion that in Belgium countless murderers, rapists and bank robbers never get convicted because of mistakes, is not correct. The main problem with Belgian justice is that it is inefficient and slow.
It is refreshing that Flemish director Jan Verheyen has tackled this genre in his own way. He is mostly known for commercial, mainstream movies aimed at large audiences. 'Het Vonnis' ('The Verdict') is no exception, but there is a difference. This film is more than just entertainment. Verheyen also wants to tell the audience something. He is upset by the way some criminals escape their punishment because of mistakes made by the prosecution.
'Het Vonnis' tells the story of such a mistake. The story setup is brilliant: a man sees his wife and daughter being killed before his eyes. The murderer is found, but not convicted, because his lawyer finds a mistake in the charges: on one of the documents, the signature of the prosecutor is missing. Senseless with grief and anger, the man decides to kill the murderer and let a jury in court decide if he is guilty or not. The trial is as much about the Belgian justice system as about the crime itself.
The film has some fine moments. The first few minutes, during which the lead character sees everything he cares about shattered and destroyed, are very good. The director creates intensity with some creative aerial shots and fast focus changes. The courtroom scenes at the end are another highlight. Verheyen chooses to muffle the sound of the judge reading the final verdict, but he shows in an indirect way if the suspect is guilty or not. Another nice creative choice is to not show the murder itself, except by short flashbacks during the trial.
Of course, the film will mainly appeal to Belgian audiences. There are some nice shots of Antwerp, and fun cameos by well-known Flemish reporters and experts. Commercial television broadcaster VTM co-produced the film, which is why there are quite a few shots of news reports and popular shows.
Verheyen clearly makes his point about the justice system. Sometimes, it is so occupied with following the strict rules, that injustice is the inevitable result. But his suggestion that in Belgium countless murderers, rapists and bank robbers never get convicted because of mistakes, is not correct. The main problem with Belgian justice is that it is inefficient and slow.