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Judgment in Berlin (1988)
Relevant Today
NOTE: THIS REVIEW GIVES AWAY PART OF THE ENDING. I HAVE PUT THREE ASTERISKS BEFORE AND AFTER THAT PART OF THE REVIEW.
I just found a copy of "Judgment in Berlin" (1988), which stars Martin Sheen, Sean Penn, and Carl Lumbly (Syney Bristow's partner in the TV-series "Alias"), among others. It's an excellent story, co-written and directed by Leo Penn (Sean's father).
Synopsis: Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, an East German man hijacks a plane bound for East Berlin and diverts it to West Berlin. Because he did not merely escape but committed hijacking, which the US government claims is "terrorism," he must stand trial in West Berlin in a specially-constituted American court. Sheen plays the judge. (Penn plays a young German who testifies for the defense; Lumbly a prosecutor.)
The government argues, among other things, that constitutional rights do not apply since the court is an "occupation court" which is a tool of the Department of State in its exercise of foreign policy, not an independent "Article 2" federal court.
((DON'T READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE END!)) ***The judge disagrees and in the end refuses to allow the defendant to be put into the hands of the government at all since he says he believes them when they say they won't respect his rights.***
Many of the legal arguments and aspects in the film mirror those being used today in US detentions and prosecutions both in the US and overseas. (For example, "unlawful enemy combatants" held in the US in military brigs, Guantanamo detainees, and several cases being prosecuted in Iraq.)
In other words, the film is accurate in its legal and political framework. The film, moreover, raises the same moral questions often NOT being raised or considered now in cases analogous to the one in the movie. The film is an excellent teaching tool about these issues.
Jennifer Van Bergen, J.D. Author of: "The Twilight of Democracy: The Bush Plan for America" (Common Courage Press, 2004), and other books and articles on issues of law and human rights.
Cracker Crazy: Invisible Histories of the Sunshine State (2007)
Original, Unique, Very Educational
Koszulinksi has not only done a service to Floridians and local historians but to all Americans (and citizens of the world) who want to know more about some of the central people, periods, and events in America's history than most high school or college history books cover.
This is up-close-and-personal history. The amount covered is phenomenal -- but the viewer never has the feeling that anything is short-shrift-ed. From the Seminole Indians to the Ku Klux Klan to Walt Disney (did you know he was a U.S. government spy?) to Henry Flagler's famed (disastrous and now defunct) railroad to Key West, the narrative is always educational -- and always fascinating.
The narrators, including Vietnam Vet and peace activist Scott Camill (featured in the recently re-released 1971 documentary "Winter Soldier"), tell the story in lively but clear voices (sometimes in the character of a historical personage) in alternation with live footage and on-camera interviews.
Koszulinksi has also written, produced, and directed several other films, as well as acted in some of them: Silent Voyeur (2004), Blood of the Beast (2003), and Desinformatsia (2002). He won several awards for Blood of the Beast, a futuristic end-of-the-world horror flick.
I moved from New York (where I was born) to Florida in 2000. Who would have thought that Florida history could be as interesting as The Big Apple's? Koszulinski is a unique and gifted writer and film-maker.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cracker Crazy and learned a great deal.