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Father (1989)

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clip A man without a past

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Joseph Mueller (Max von Sydow) is cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel (Nancy Black). She questions Joseph about the evidence of his identity being destroyed in the bombing of Dresden in the Second World War. Iya Zetnick (Julia Blake) appears on television to repeat her claim that Joseph is a war criminal.

Curator’s notes

The long tracking shot at the beginning of this courtroom scene captures the face of every significant player in Joseph Mueller’s trial, including the 12 men and women of the jury. The dialogue running beneath this shot is at first mundane legal procedure followed by the prosecuting counsel’s straightforward initial question.

Sound and image come together powerfully when the camera closes in on Mueller at the counsel’s second, much more provocative question. The sequence at Anna and Bobby’s pub shows how trial by media has become a fixture of modern life.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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