Sunday, April 14, 2024

Heavens Fall (2006)

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavens Fall is a historical drama (based on a true story) which premiered in 2006.

 

It is a dark but important chapter in the history of the United States: the case of the Scottsboro Boys, aka the Scottsboro Nine.

 

On a list of wrongful convictions in the US, this case deserves a prominent place.

 

** Writer and director: Terry Green

** Released on DVD in 2007

** Run time: 105 minutes

 

The case involves several trials and re-trials. 

 

The first round of trials took place in Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931.

 

Nine black teenagers aged between 13 and 19 were found guilty of having raped two young white women on a freight train in 1931.

 

Eight were sentenced to death, while one case ended in a mistrial, because the jurors could not agree on death or life in prison.

 

In 1932, the US Supreme Court ruled that the nine defendants did not have proper representation during their trials and therefore they were not given a fair trial.

 

A new round of trials was ordered and a change of venue was recommended.

 

The second round of trials began in Decatur, Alabama, in 1933.

 

This drama covers the first trial of the second round that took place in Decatur in 1933. This trial was against one of the nine boys: Haywood Patterson.

 

The cast includes the following:

 

The first group

** Samuel Leibowitz (1893-1978), lawyer for the defense – played by Timothy Hutton

** Belle Leibowitz (1900-1980?), Samuel’s wife – played by Francie Swift

 

** James E. Horton (1878-1973), the judge – played by David Strathairn

** William Lee, a black reporter from Chicago – played by Anthony Mackie

 

** Thomas Knight, Jr. (1898-1937), a lawyer, a prosecutor – played by Bill Sage

** Thomas Knight, Sr., Alabama supreme court judge and father of the prosecutor – played by James Tolken

 

The second group = the accusers

** Victoria Price (1911-1982) – played by Leelee Sobieski

** Ruby Bates (1915-1976) – played by Azura Skye

 

The third group = two of the nine accused

** Haywood Patterson (1913-1952) – played by B. J. Britt

** Willie Robertson (1915-?) – played by Artel Great

 

The American Communist Party took an early interest in the case. The legal wing of the party, International Labor Defense (ILD), volunteered to defend the Scottsboro Boys in court.

 

For the second round of trials, they wanted to have a talented lawyer on their side. This is why they approached Samuel Leibowitz, who was a famous lawyer in New York with a strong track record.

 

At first, he said no. He did not want to be associated with the Communist Party. His wife Belle was also against it. She was afraid he would be killed, if he went to Alabama in order to defend the Scottsboro Boys.

 

But once he had studied the case, Leibowitz decided to accept the task.

 

Heaven Falls is a courtroom drama. Most scenes take place in the courtroom where Leibowitz speaks for the defence, while Thomas Knight Jr. speaks for the prosecution. Judge James Horton presides over the court.

 

The scenes in the courtroom follow the original trial very closely.

 

Questions and answers are almost word for word the same as in the original trial, although (for obvious reasons) some cross-examinations have been shortened.

 

When the evidence has been presented, and when the witnesses have been heard, Judge Horton instructs the jurors about their duty. Before sending them off to start their deliberations, he says:

 

“Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall.”

 

The meaning of this legal phrase is: justice must be done, no matter what the consequences may be. The title of the drama is a reference to this maxim.

 

The Latin version of the legal phrase runs like this:

 

Fiat justitia ruat caelum

 

What do reviewers say about this drama?

 

Here are some results:

 

63 percent = Rotten Tomatoes

66 percent = IMDb

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 53 ratings of this product, including 28 with reviews.

 

The average rating is four stars, which corresponds to a rating of 80 percent.

 

In my opinion, the first two ratings are too low, while the rating on Amazon is much more appropriate.

 

A documentary film about this case was shown on US television (PBS) in 2001. 

 

This film was released on DVD in 2005. 

 

The title is: 

 

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy

 

It is obvious to compare these two products.

 

The documentary film, which runs for 84 minutes, has a wide scope, because it covers all the trials against all nine boys from 1931 and onward.

 

In the drama, which runs for 105 minutes, we have only one trial against one of the nine boys that took place in 1933.

 

This limited scope was probably chosen in order to make it easier for the audience to follow and understand the dramatized version of events.

 

As you can see, there are clear differences between the two products, but both are excellent. Each in its own way. They complement each other very well.

 

Heavens Fall is an important drama.

 

If you are interested in modern history - in particular the struggle for freedom and human rights - this film is definitely something for you.

 

It is highly recommended.

 

REFERENCES

 

Stories of Scottsboro

By James Goodman

(1994 = hardcover)

(1995 = paperback)

 

Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South

By Dan T. Carter

(First edition 1969)

(Second edition 1979)

(Third edition 2007)

 

Scottsboro and its Legacy

by James R. Acker

(2007)

 

Remembering Scottsboro

by James A. Miller

(2009)

 

The Scottsboro Boys in Their Own Words:

Selected letters, 1931-1950

Edited by Kwando M. Kinshasa

(2014)

 

*****


The famous lawyer

Samuel Leibowitz

(1893-1978)

in a meeting with

the Scottsboro Boys.

Eight boys are standing,

while one boy is sitting 

next to the lawyer


*****


Scottsboro:

An American Tragedy

An episode of the long-running program 

American Experience

(2001)

(Released on DVD in 2005)


*****



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