‘The Goldman Case’ Attempts a Defense of a Divisive French Figure

The new French film “The Goldman Case” is based on the real-life 1976 trial of a Jewish man, Pierre Goldman, accused of the 1969 murder of two female pharmacists in a Parisian hold-up gone wrong. Even while vehemently denying the killings, the Frenchman called himself a “gangster” and admitted to various robberies. For those unfamiliar with the case, the tension over Goldman’s possible guilt and the social and racial issues raised by the trial, many relevant to this day, are likely to prove absorbing. Those who already know the jury’s verdict may find themselves riveted by the film’s precise rendering of the proceedings and the dynamic performances of its lead actors.A classic courtroom drama, “The Goldman Case” stays within the judicial space for nearly all of its runtime. Only a few scenes occur elsewhere, primarily in Goldman’s jail cell. This singular focus and formal purity can be trying, especially considering the muted colors and clinical light of the imagery. Still, director Cédric Kahn deploys various compositional modes to keep things visually stimulating.Arthur Harari — who won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Anatomy of the Fall” along with its director, Justine Triet — gives a skillful performance as Goldman’s aggrieved lead attorney, Georges Kiejman, who doesn’t see why his client’s Jewish roots should have any bearing on the case. Goldman, on the other hand, asserts his religion and upbringing several times during the trial, with the nature of Jewish identity and pride a repeated theme. While on the stand, Goldman explains how in the 1960s, when he was younger, he traveled to Cuba and Venezuela to train alongside left-wing rebels. He also aligns his communist leanings with his Polish-born parents’ work in the French resistance during World War II. (Goldman penned a popular memoir while in prison, “Obscure Memories of a Polish Jew Born in France.”) Frequent correlations are made between antisemitism and racism. Many American viewers likely will be reminded of the O.J. Simpson murder trial while watching the film, particularly considering one of the victims was named Goldman. Another reference point is the Dreyfus affair, when a French captain of Jewish descent was falsely accused of treason. Court cases can be dry, though, and “The Goldman Case” tends to focus too much on arid speechifying, procedural details, and inconclusive elements. Still, exciting moments do arise, such as each time the courtroom spectators burst into cheers or shows of derision. These rabble rousers could be seen as a Greek chorus, with Goldman the tragic hero who believes that his avowals of innocence should be enough to absolve him. Arieh Worthalter won the César award for Best Actor for his performance of Goldman, and it’s easy to see why, yet one can’t help but feel at the movie’s end that Goldman as a flesh-and-blood character remains elusive. There’s an imbalance in how he’s presented, with director Kahn seemingly viewing him as an impersonal symbol for universal rebellion and blind justice. This viewer, wishing to come to some sort of judgment of Goldman — much as a jury would — finds the portrayal wanting.

‘The Goldman Case’ Attempts a Defense of a Divisive French Figure

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