%20(1).jpg)
Law on Film
Law on Film explores the rich connections between law and film. Law is critical to many films, even to those that are not obviously about the legal world. Film, meanwhile, tells us a lot about the law, especially how it is perceived and portrayed. The podcast is created and hosted by Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer, legal scholar, and film buff. Each episode, Jonathan and a guest expert will examine a film that is noteworthy from a legal perspective. What does the film get right about the law and what does it get wrong? Why is law important to understanding the film? And what does the film teach about law's relationship to the larger society and culture that surrounds it. Whether you're interested in law, film, or an entertaining discussion, there will be something here for you.
Law on Film
The Goldman Case (2023) (Guest: Fred Davis) (episode 39)
The Goldman Case (Le Procès Goldman) (2023), is a French courtroom drama based on the real-life 1976 trial of Pierre Goldman, a far-left Jewish militant who was accused of multiple armed robberies and four murders during a holdup of a pharmacy in Paris. The film, which was directed by Cedric Kahn from screenplay by Kahn and Nathalie Hertzberg, stars Arieh Worthalter as Goldman and Arthur Harari as his lead lawyer, Georges Kiejiman. The film is not only a gripping account of this celebrated trial, but also explores larger themes around individual and collective responsibility, the way courtrooms can become the battleground for contested narratives about the past, and the swirling forces of race, class, and religion in 1970s France. Joining me to talk about The Goldman Case is Fred Davis, an internationally acclaimed trial attorney, expert on French criminal law and procedure, and Lecturer at Columbia Law School, where he teaches about how to examine comparative criminal procedure through film.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:34 Background for the Pierre Goldman case
5:15 Goldman’s lawyers, Georges Kiejiman and Francis Chouraqui
7:48 Breaking down a French courtroom
9:21 The lawyer for the victims
10:20 Procedural differences between French and American trials
14:47 A window into 1970s France
17:33 The backdrop of the treatment of Jews in Vichy France
23:05 How the Left rallied to Goldman’s side
27:10 Tensions around race and policing in France
29:58 The role of the investigating magistrate in France
32:22 The verdict and aftermath
38:55 French courtroom dramas
40:42 Evolving discussion about France’s history during World War II
43:40 Studying comparative criminal justice through film
Further reading:
Goldman, Pierre, Dim Memories of a Polish Jew Born in France (1977)
Oltermann, Philip, “Tried for double murder and adored by the French left: the violent life and crimes of Pierre Goldman,” The Guardian (Sept. 16, 2024)
Paxton, Robert O., Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order, 1940-1944 (1972)
Marrus, Michael, R. & Paxton, Robert O., Vichy France and the Jews (1981)
Reid, Donald, “From Souvenirs obscurs to Lieu de mémorie,” French Politics,
Culture & Society, vol. 26, no. 2 (Summer 2008)
Vincendeau, Ginette, “The Goldman Case: arresting courtroom drama holds its own outside a French context,” Sight and Sound (Sept. 20, 2024)
Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember.
For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.html
You can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.com
You can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz
You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilm
You can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast