Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Lawyer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 7, 2023

Sidney J. Furie's "The Lawyer" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with actor Barry Newman; new program with actress Diana Muldaur; new program with Joe Dante; new video essay by critic/filmmaker Daniel Kremer; vintage trailer for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is a game, and you want to be a winner. The truth is just a detail.

Tony Petrocelli. It is not a complicated name, so it should be easy to get it right. But they do not, so he routinely corrects them. It is not Petroselli, it is Petrocelli, he tells them. Like the cello, you know, the musical instrument, he then clarifies. Moments later, they screw up his name again.

It does not take long to figure out that virtually all of them mispronounce his name because they want to do it. Petrocelli gets under their skin, and quickly too. Some of them think that it is because he is too smart, so intentionally screwing up his name is how they get back at him, and a few have concluded that he is simply full of it, so they treat him accordingly. Petrocelli does not care whether the latest abuser comes from the first or the second camp, if he dispatches an arrow to hurt him, he will shoot it down.

But in a matter of weeks, Petrocelli becomes a much bigger target and acquires a nationwide reputation. The transformation is initiated after a friendly judge recommends that he takes a look at a hot case involving Jack Harrison, who is in a local hospital and suspected of killing his beautiful wife, and Petrocelli enthusiastically agrees to represent him. A mountain of evidence points to Harrison stabbing his wife multiple times while she was asleep and then claiming that he was attacked by intruders that had broken into their lavish home, possibly to rob them. When Petrocelli begins preparing Harrison’s defense, he is forced to ward off unfriendly reporters and their hostile audience seemingly every day, and the harder he tries to educate them that his client is innocent until proven guilty, the more intense their attacks become. As if to ensure a most deserved humiliation, the state then dispatches his ‘brother’, a veteran lawyer, to defeat him in court.

Seasoned film buffs will very quickly make the connection between Sidney J. Furie’s The Lawyer and Andrew Davis’ The Fugitive as both very clearly borrow material from the famous real story about Dr. Sam Sheppard and his misery in Ohio. But these films utilize the material in completely different ways, so it is almost impossible to claim that they are relatives.

Furie’s film is the more interesting of the two because it places the spotlight on the lawyer working on the case, which is a move that instantly downgrades the intricate nature of the crime. In fact, the crime proves to be the perfect pretext for a detailed study of the lawyer, his working methods, and the environment in which he triumphs and fails.

But there is another, even bigger development in this film, which is that the detailed study is done with wit and a sense of humor that feel borderline rebellious. In what way? In much the same way Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye plays with and alters the significance of genre cliches, character stereotypes, and traditional stylistic appearance. As a result, a lot of what the lawyer does while trying to prove that his client is innocent constantly surprises and his complete profile becomes impossible to guess correctly.

In a new program that was prepared exclusively for this release of The Lawyer, Barry Newman declares that he owes his career to Furie. It is impossible to disagree when you see how Newman’s career evolved after The Lawyer. According to Newman, Furie unleashed his creative powers while making him feel relaxed and genuinely trusting that he had the talent to be a legit leading actor. In The Lawyer, Newman actually looks like a seasoned leading actor.

The cast also includes Harold Gould, Robert Colbert, Diana Muldaur, Booth Colman, Mary Charlotte Wilcox, and William Sylvester.

Furie worked with cinematographer Ralph Woolsey, who also assisted him on Little Fauss and Big Halsy.

*A few years after he had made The Lawyer, Newman reprised his character in the TV series Petrocelli (1974-1976). However, the TV material has a different sense of humor and atmosphere.

The Lawyer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Lawyer arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K master that was prepared at Paramount. I like this master a lot. I think that it is every bit as convincing as the very best 4K masters the studio has been using for its releases from the Paramount Selects line. Indeed, the entire film looks very healthy, and the visuals have wonderful organic qualities. Color balance is excellent as well. The primaries look lush and nicely balanced, while the existing ranges of supporting nuances are terrific. To be honest, I think that the only way there could be any improvements is if the film is viewed in native 4K, where the color gamut will be expanded. However, the technical presentation of the 4K makeover is not as solid as it could have been. Indeed, there are quite a few areas that could have benefitted from encoding optimizations so that grain exposure is as convincing as it needs to be. While I do not think that casual viewers will be bothered by the quality of the presentation, I think that trained eyes will spot several areas where the encode just does not replicate native detail as it should. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Lawyer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I had to turn up the volume of my system a bit more than usual to clearly hear all exchanges. However, I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review. I think that the original sound design of the film simply isn't very impressive, or at least not in a way that can match the quality of more recent soundtracks, which of course is hardly surprising. Stability is excellent.

The Lawyer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Newman's Law - in this exclusive new program, Barry Newman recalls his initial encounter with Sidney J. Furie and explains how their collaboration on The Lawyer profoundly and permanently altered the progression of his career. Also, Mr. Newman shares several quite hilarious stories about his relocation to California and how Furie helped him adapt. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Lawyers' Wives and Lost Loves - in this exclusive new program, actress Diana Muldaur discusses her involvement with The Lawyer and interactions with Sidney J. Furie. The program features footage from two interviews. The first was conducted over the phone in 2013, as research for Daniel Kremer's book Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films. The second was shot on the set of Furie's Finding Hannah, an independent drama written by the director, which reunited Muldaur with Barry Newman. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Angles of Elevation: Joe Dante's Appreciation of Sidney J. Furie - in this exclusive new program, Joe Dante recalls his first encounter with Sidney J. Furie's work and explains how later the visual composition of The Ipcress File made a lasting impression on him. There are additional comments about the films Furie made after it as well. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critic/filmmaker Daniel Kremer and film director Paul Lynch and features archival excerpts from Sidney J. Furie. The commentary and the archival excerpts provide tremendous insight into the career and legacy of Furie as well as the conception, production, and style of The Lawyer. Also, there are some very interesting comments about Barry Newman and his performance and career.

• Clear Lines of Sight: Sidney J. Furie at Paramount - this exclusive new video essay was prepared by Daniel Kremer. In English, not subtitled. (40 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Lawyer. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Booklet - 60-page illustrated booklet with multiple essays on the cinematic legacy of Sidney J. Furie.

The Lawyer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Lawyer surprised me a lot because I expected it to offer a rather dated retelling of the famous story that inspired The Fugitive. Clearly, it borrows some material from the famous story, but it is firmly focused on Barry Newman's Tony Petrocelli. I frequently could not read this rather colorful character at all, which was very, very refreshing. The Lawyer has been fully restored in 4K at Paramount, but I think that its technical presentation could have been more convincing. This release is included in Directed By Sidney J. Furie, a five-disc box set, which is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.