Terrorist on Trial: The U. S. vs. Salim Ajami (1988)
Directed by Jeff Bleckner
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Courtroom Drama, Message Movie |
Run Time - 150 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
There is no question that the Arab terrorist portrayed by Robert Davi is guilty of killing five US citizens in Barcelona. Even his lawyers have zero respect for the rabidly sociopathic Davi. But Jewish defense attorney Ron Leibman is obsessed with the concept of Due Process, and has vowed that Davi will receive a scrupulously fair trial when the terrorist is extradited to America. The defense mounted by Leibman confounds and aggravates government prosecutor Sam Waterston--but he, like Leibman, remains a man of judiciary integrity. Though purely a work of speculative fiction, Terrorist on Trial raises ethical and moral questions that cannot be easily shunted aside with the mantra of "it's only a TV movie." The film was a worthy valedictory piece for the Emmy-winning writing team of Richard Levinson (who died just after the film's completion) and William Link.
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Themes
Keywords
battle [war], conflict, false-accusation, survivor