NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (August 2025): Indicator have transferred Norman Jewison's "...And Justice for All" to Blu-ray. In 2011 we reviewed the Image Entertainment Blu-ray HERE. It was in the bastardized 1.78:1 aspect ratio on a single-layered disc with a puny bitrate for the 2-hour film. The indicator is a significant improvement; better contrast, more balanced colors and consistent, pleasing, grain textures. It's really no contest. To use a legal phrase; "Nolo contendere". Lensed by cinematographer Victor J. Kemper (Cloak & Dagger, The Final Countdown, Night of the Juggler, Magic, Eyes of Laura Mars, Audrey Rose, Mikey and Nicky,) the visual style employs a gritty, realistic 1970s aesthetic that juxtaposes the grandeur of the American justice system with its underlying dysfunction, using wide, sunlit establishing shots of the Baltimore courthouse to evoke institutional prestige while contrasting them with narrow, dimly lit hallways and chaotic courtroom interiors to symbolize hidden corruption and absurdity. Detail levels of the new 1080P transfer are decent, capturing the gritty 1970s aesthetic of Baltimore courtrooms and urban settings with reasonable sharpness in close-ups and textures, colors are natural and era-appropriate, with muted tones. The HD presentation preserves the film's realistic appearance without glossiness, damage of digitization.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Dave Grusin's (Three Days of the Condor, The Midnight Man, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Candy, The Front) jazz-infused score amplifies emotional highs, blending upbeat rhythms with somber undertones to mirror the tonal shifts from comedy to tragedy. The audio transfer is reasonably dynamic and clean soundtrack that prioritizes dialogue clarity - essential for the film's verbose courtroom rants and satirical exchanges - without distortions, hiss, or dropout issues, ensuring Al Pacino's iconic outbursts and ensemble banter come through with natural presence and impact. Ambient effects like courtroom echoes, gunfire, and helicopter sounds are integrated subtly yet effectively, maintaining fidelity to the 1979 production without artificial expansion. All good. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The supplements on the Indicator Blu-ray are extensive and scholarly, catering to fans and cinephiles with two audio commentaries - one archival from director Norman Jewison (2001) offering insights into production challenges and thematic intentions, and a new 2025 track by film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (1000 Women In Horror, 1895-2018) and Josh Nelson analyzing the film's post-Watergate context and satirical elements; archival interviews include "Norman Jewison: The Testimony of the Director" (a dozen minutes from 2008) and "Barry Levinson: Cross-Examining the Screenwriter" (same year - 7 minutes), both providing personal reflections on scripting and directing. Additional highlights feature "The Guardian Interview with Barry Levinson" from 2000 running over an hour. It is an archival audio recording playing over the film with Adrian Wootton discussing Levinson's career; four deleted scenes (about 10 minutes) including "Fleming's Office", "Jay Sharpens Pencil", "Thanksgiving Basketball Game" and "Jeff in Hospital," offering glimpses into cut content; the original theatrical trailer; a new 2025 trailer-from-hell commentary by David Zeiger providing critical appreciation; and an image gallery with over 100 promotional materials. Rounding out the package is a limited edition 36-page booklet with a new essay by Sergio Angelini (Tipping My Fedora,) archival interviews with Al Pacino, Barry Levinson, and Norman Jewison, and full credits.

Norman Jewison's "...And Justice for All" is a satirical courtroom drama that critiques the American legal system's corruption, hypocrisy, and moral compromises through the lens of Baltimore defense attorney Arthur Kirkland, portrayed by Al Pacino in an Academy Award-nominated performance. The film features a strong ensemble cast including Jack Warden (12 Angry Men, Donovan's Reef, Death on the Nile) as the suicidal Judge Francis Rayford, John Forsythe (The Glass Web, Escape From Fort Bravo, The Captive City, Madame X) as the arrogant Judge Henry T. Fleming, Lee Strasberg (The Godfather Part II, The Cassandra Crossing) as Kirkland's grandfather Sam, Jeffrey Tambor as erratic partner Jay Porter, Christine Lahti (Housekeeping) as ethics committee member Gail Packer, and Craig T. Nelson (The Osterman Weekend, Poltergeist, Silkwood, All the Right Moves, Blades of Glory) as prosecutor Frank Bowers, blending dark comedy with poignant drama to expose systemic flaws in a post-Watergate era of distrust toward authority. The film incisively satirizes the U.S. justice system's absurdities, where technicalities free the guilty while ensnaring the innocent, reflecting post-Watergate cynicism about institutional corruption and the erosion of ethical standards. Themes of moral compromise dominate, as Arthur grapples with defending a despised judge to save his career, highlighting how personal integrity clashes with professional survival in a hypocritical legal world. It explores the emotional toll on legal professionals, portraying burnout, insanity, and suicide as consequences of systemic failures, while critiquing power dynamics where judges and prosecutors wield unchecked authority. Modern appraisals hail it as underappreciated, relevant for critiquing ongoing issues like judicial misconduct, with Pacino's "out of order!" rant becoming iconic. Indicator's Blu-ray release of ...And Justice for All stands as a highly commendable editione that honors Norman Jewison's satirical courtroom drama with a reliable HD transfer, authentic mono audio, and a robust suite of extras that blend archival and new content for insightful context, earning a solid rating overall and marking it as the definitive for the film to date. An easy recommendation! 

Gary Tooze