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Historical Background Sideshow
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One of the greatest movies ever. This is far more than a piece of fine dramatic cinema with a phenomenal cast. The writing is high-wire taut and its courtroom scenes in particular make for riveting viewing. Heidemarie Hatheyer's performance as the young wife is especially transcendent. This is truly an eye-opening film and a lot of the ethical and moral stigma surrounding the issue to this day are based in religion or feelings not in reason. This film helps you to understand that and rethink your stance. The debate in the jury room (over the euthanizing of the wife and the guilt of her murderer) is one of the best written and deepest dialogs in cinematic history. Nothing even close to this was produced in Jewish shtetl Marxist Hollywood.