This intriguing film is nothing short of meditative in its slow and deliberate pacing, as it explores the glacial progress of justice in India's court system.
Narayan Kamble is an elderly folk singer accused of inciting the suicide of a sewage worker. The charge is as serious as the case against him is absurd. His case winds its way through the labyrinthine process of a Mumbai court, delayed again and again, for months, for the most trivial of reasons. Eventually, even as it becomes clear that there is no credible evidence, in a Kafka-esque twist, the mere existence of the charges becomes itself evidence of the character of the accused.
"Court" is cleverly constructed. The actual courtroom scenes are aggravatingly brief. They are interspersed with sequences of the daily lives of the court officers in the weeks between hearings. Their mundane lives form a contrast to that of the accused, who is actually in jail the entire time.
"Court" is an unflinching view into the bureaucratic red tape, the petty rivalries, bigotry and the systemic injustices that permeate the legal process. This all unfolds in a completely understated way. There are no dramatic confrontations or explosive revelations; instead, the tension builds slowly, subtly, and relentlessly through pure frustration. The courtroom scenes are meticulously crafted, capturing the mundane rituals and the absurd nature of the proceedings. The performances are uniformly excellent and authentic.
Although "Court" is entirely a dramatization, it's hard not to be reminded of the documentary works of Frederick Wiseman. Recommended...
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