First Sergeant Braxton Rutledge, top enlisted man in a
troop of the Ninth Cavalry, the famed Buffalo Soldiers, is being
court-marshaled for raping and killing a young woman and the murder of
her father, the commanding officer of the post. Sergeant Rutledge is
defended by his lieutenant, who knows how good a soldier he is, and
cannot believe that he would have done what he is charged with. The
prosecution is led by an officer who seems to think that the mere fact
that the Sergeant is black should be enough to prove his guilt. The
story unfolds through a series of flashbacks. Set in a military
courtroom in 1881 Arizona territory, it tells of a good, courageous man
caught in a terrible situation who bravely faces the racism of his
accusers by saying to them, "I'm a man!"
John Ford directed this powerful, well-acted film that was released in
1960.
The program will include an appearance by local attorney Martin Miller,
who will give commentary on the film.
The Douglas County Law Library is sponsoring the Reels
of Justice Film Series as a public service in its education and
outreach program to promote a better understanding of the legal system
in the community at large. The series will feature films that have been
selected for their overall quality and for their portrayal of the legal
system. Most of the films in the series are classics and feature major
motion picture stars of the past and present. A new film will be
scheduled every three months.
In addition to the screening of a film, each program
will include commentary on the main theme of the film and the accuracy
of the film in portraying the legal system. Whenever possible, the
commentary will be provided by a local attorney familiar with the film
who will also take questions from the audience.
This free film series is shown in the Lawrence Public
Library Auditorium.
