Title: "The Judge" ("The Judge") Year: 2014 Country: United States Director: David Dobkin (David Dawkin) Starring: Robert Downey Jr. (Robert Downey Jr.); Robert Duvall (Robert Duvall) Duval); Vera Farmiga; Leighton Meester; Vincent D'Onofrio (Vincent Donofrio)
Hank Palmer is an excellent and experienced lawyer who specializes in helping the wealthy to clean up the mess they have caused. In Hank's eyes, there is no so-called justice, and some are just eternal interests. This is like a kind of self-indulgence walking on the border, but there is a kind of pride that despises everyone. In the eyes of the world, Hank is successful and inexhaustible, but Hank has the sadness of seeing through the world in his heart. Hank is not happy, and all this stems from his native family, and his father's contempt is engraved on his heart. A knife, a successful career and a happy life can't make up for the scars left in my heart.
When Hank was young, he had the rebellion of children of the same age. His elder brother’s excellence was in stark contrast with his own talents. Hank was once recommended by the prosecution to be sentenced to community service. However, his father, as an impartial judge, insisted on treating Hank as an impartial judge. Sent to the juvenile control office for transformation. Not only did his father show strictness towards Hank in various aspects, he even deliberately ignored him. In Hank's high school and university graduation ceremonies, his father never attended. After Hank changed his face, he was admitted to college and graduated with the first grade in his class. He became a lawyer. For 20 years, Hank has been away from home, not contacting his parents, just to cut off the past.
Hank's father is Joseph Palmer, a respected old judge in the town. His life-long work style has won the trust and respect of the residents of the town, but this respect has nothing to do with Hank. Hank hates his father's contempt for himself, and he does not want to return to his father's side. , Facing the shame of being unable to lift one's head.
Hank, who thought he had cut off all relations with his father, learned of the accidental death of his mother. This forced Hank to return to his hometown in Indiana. Going home means facing his father, and he cannot even establish a complete and normal relationship with his father. The dialogue mechanism, the indifference between each other has not even changed over time.
After hurriedly dealing with his mother's funeral affairs, Hank wanted to leave. He had already boarded the plane but received a call from his brother telling his father that he was suspected of killing. His father was an excellent judge, but he was involved in murder, which had to be surprising. Hank, who rushed back, learned that his father was suspected of driving a vehicle to kill a young man named Mark. Mark was once a criminal tried by his father. When Mark was young, he used a gun to shoot his girlfriend's bedroom into a mess, but Judge Palmer faced Mark's cry in court and gave a surprising light sentence. The first thing Mark, who was sentenced to 30 days in prison, came out was to shoot and kill his 16-year-old girlfriend. Later, Mark was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder. Judge Palmer has been brooding about this matter, believing that his indiscretion led to the death of a 16-year-old girl.
Before Mark's death, Judge Palmer had contact with him in the supermarket. Judge Palmer had Mark's blood stains on the crashed car. During the police investigation, Judge Palmer vowed to affirm that he was innocent. After the case was transferred to the prosecutor for prosecution, Hank found a lawyer for his father, and Hank had to be ordered in danger due to the lack of the lawyer's ability. The stubborn old judge always believed that he did not kill Mark, and even disagreed with Hank's defense by drunk driving. He didn't want the residents of the town to think he was an alcoholic judge, so he questioned his professionalism and insisted that Hank defend his innocence.
During the trial, when a surveillance video of the supermarket on the night of the incident was broadcast in the courtroom, Judge Palmer fell into deep thought and silence for a long time after seeing it. Hank discovered the strangeness of his father. After the trial, Hank learned that his father had suffered from cancer a few years ago, and he quietly received chemotherapy. One of the side effects of chemotherapy was memory loss. Hank, who knows the truth, intends to make a big fuss about the amnesia, but the old judge Palmer disagrees with Hank’s defense strategy. If he lost his memory due to chemotherapy, the case he tried in the past year will be questioned. This is a result that the old judge cannot accept anyway, that is, others question their own professionalism. During his 42-year career as a judge, the residents of the town presented an upright image, and he was unwilling to accept that the evening festival was not guaranteed.
In the final trial, Judge Palmer admitted in court that he deliberately killed Mark, and Hank continued to make innocence and the slightest change for his father. His father had no motive to kill Mark. Hank continued to make a fuss about the motive of killing. Twenty years have passed since Mark's sentence. Why is he still so angry when he sees Mark again? Judge Palmer told Hank that he met Mark after he was released from prison at a convenience store and was insulted by Mark. Hank found it strange that in Judge Palmer’s 42-year career, there have been countless insults from criminals. Why did he ignite his anger this time, and then he asked: "Why was Mark only sentenced to 30 days when he shot his girlfriend's room for the first time? , Mark’s crimes can be sentenced from six months to one year. As a harsh judge in this district, what should you explain for such an obvious trial error?..." Judge Palmer frankly: "Because I see him. To your shadow, the same rebelliousness, the same recklessness, seeing him cry reminds me of my second son, I just want to hug him and tell him things shouldn’t be like this. If he gets lost, I hope Someone can help him, just like I want someone to help my child." Then Hank finally understood why his father treated him so harshly and unkindly all these years because his father used a way that misunderstood Hank. Love him deeply.
The jury's verdict was first-degree murder unfounded. Later, the jury found that Judge Palmer was guilty of intentional homicide, and the judge sentenced him to four years in prison.
Mark is a heinous murderer. In the film, the source of Judge Palmer’s guilt is his love for his sons and young children. His original intention was that the light sentence would give the lost children a chance to rehabilitate. However, things went against his wishes and he suffered a heavy burden. Indescribable. He can only reduce the guilt brought to him by Hope's victimization by making strict demands on his son, and even adopt an indifferent attitude towards the rebellious Hank.
If Judge Palmer remains silent, he will be able to escape legal sanctions with the help of the prosecution’s insufficient evidence and Hank’s superb litigation skills. But Judge Palmer’s 40-year career as a judge, fairness and justice is the core value of his professional life, and it is also the minimum requirement of his professionalism. He would rather use imprisonment in exchange for his respect for the law.
Before he died, he answered his son's question "Who is the best lawyer you have ever met?" He said, "It's you. The best lawyer I have ever met is you." Palmer himself is also a good judge. The sons practice their professional spirit in their respective fields.
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