Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Marshall Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 14, 2018

Usually a movie like Marshall will wade through essential character growth tropes, exploring the title character from a young age and following his evolution from boy to man and man to history. That's not the case here. Rather than simply dive into stale and routine Biopic territory, Director Reginald Hudlin's picture instead focuses its attention on a singular focal point, Marshall's time working a case -- in court-mandated silence -- in defense of a suspected rapist, against all odds because of his skin color and that of his client. This is pre-Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall, still a dashing, trendsetting, precedent-bucking young attorney fighting for racial justice with the NAACP. The film is, then, less a life story (though it does hit some highlights along the way) and more a courtroom procedural with a backdrop of looming history shining on it.

Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman), working as the sole lawyer for the NAACP, travels from New York to Connecticut to defend a black man named Jospeh Spell (Sterling K. Brown) who is accused of raping a white woman. Spell maintains his innocence -- he steadfastly claims that he didn't commit rape -- and Marshall, who only defends those who are truly innocent, takes the case. But being from out-of-state and not a member of the local bar, not to mention a man of color, he is forced to seek help from an outsider, in this case a white lawyer named Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), to aid in the criminal defense. Friedman finds himself far from his area of legal expertise and reluctantly part of the team, but he quickly gains an appreciation for Marshall and an understanding of the way the system limits him. The presiding judge, Foster (James Cromwell), allows Marshall to sit in on the case but sit in only; he's prohibited from speaking in the courtroom. With Marshall running the case and Friedman serving as the in-court mouthpiece, the two put together a case for their client's innocence but face resistance from a number of external elements, some even inside the courtroom, that would see them fail in their defense.

Marshall doesn't exactly break new ground in either its exploration of racial issues in the 1940s or in its execution of courtroom drama theatrics. The film is by-and-large a fairly standard bit of dramatic entertainment, enhanced, certainly, by its critical constructs but never really standing apart on the thematic front. But the film gets enough mileage from the core narrative, with delivery essentially trumping, but never overwhelming, the plot. The film bears enough fruit by way of the characters overcoming obstacles, many, certainly, born of outside prejudices but a few internal ones, too, as Marshall and Friedman sort out their personal and professional relationships while they, and Marshall in particular, deal with a client who may not be entirely forthcoming with the truth. As the story unfolds, raw emotions become ever the point of contention, both internally and externally for the defense team, culminating in several powerful moments in the third act, most of which are centered on the defendant's own testimony on the stand. The film's outcome is never much in question, but as with many such stories it's the journey that counts, not necessarily the destination, here a journey of racial strife, roadblocks, word games, doubts, and fears on one hand, counterbalanced my Marshall's steadfastness, intelligence, and confidence and Friedman's evolving acceptance of his role in the trial and abilities in the courtroom.

Even where story can be a little linear (not stale and certainly not dull), its technical construction and performances are fluid, dynamic, and ever interesting. Reginald Hudlin and Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel shoot in a complimentary style that accentuates people and places, helps build emotions, draw perspective, and capture the realities of the film's places and time, and always with an eye for drawing emotional content from the scene, whether by way of expanding the field of view or presenting with an intimacy of character to drive home a moment or build an emotional turning point. Hudlin's work is enjoyably stylistic, but never to the point that it overwhelms the narrative. Performances are excellent. Chadwick Boseman, in his second role portraying a key groundbreaking African-American figure from American history (Jackie Robinson, 42), commands the screen as the suave title character who exudes intelligence and confidence and carries himself in a manner that defies then-common perceptions and stereotypes, breaking away from the social status quo and exhibiting the characteristics that would ultimately carry him to the United States Supreme Court.

Marshall Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Marshall was digitally photographed and translates into an exceptional Blu-ray release. Textural delights abound. Skin is presented with impeccable complexity, finding depth and definition to individual pores, hairs, lines, and other details that are about as revealing as the Blu-ray format can muster. Environments and clothes are likewise sharp and clean, superbly defined across the board no matter the place or lighting condition. Colors are stable and pleasantly neutral, offering no filtering or push in any direction. Black levels are pleasantly deep and true. Flesh tones appear accurate under various lighting conditions. Noise is kept to a minimum, and outside of a couple of barely-noticeable bouts of aliasing there's little room for complaint. This is a very sharp, highly detailed image, one that pushes the Blu-ray format fairly close to its limits.

Marshall Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Marshall's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a commendably balanced listen. The film's soundtrack never pushes things too far, favoring more of a balanced, reserved approach to its sonic elements, raising its voice a few times but largely remaining neutral and complimentary rather than overwhelming. A handful of heavier elements are sprinkled throughout, like a fairly potent train rumble heard near film's start, but otherwise it's a fairly mundane, but technically sound, listen. Music is clear and detailed, its Jazz-y beats complimented by a hearty low end extension and modest surround push. Environmental effects, such as light rain and rolling thunder in chapter 13 or mild restaurant sounds in chapter 17, open the track and invite the listener into a few very well defined locales. Dialogue is clear and precise with firm front-center positioning.

Marshall Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Marshall contains no supplements beyond some trailers for other Universal releases. DVD and digital copies are included with purchase.

Marshall Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Marshall largely goes against the grain, picking out a moment of the title character's life rather than simply recreate his A-B-C life story. It's a quality picture, more fresh for escaping Biopic tropes and traps but still settling in as a fairly straightforward courtroom procedural, albeit one with some weight to it as racial tensions and various obstacles come between perception and reality. It's a well-made, strongly acted picture, nothing of major note in terms of its courtroom theatrics, but it's an engaging, enjoyable film both narratively and structurally alike. Universal's Blu-ray is sadly devoid of extra content, but video dazzles and audio is strong, too. Recommended.