About

Based on a true story and set in 1975 Paris, The Goldman Case is a reconstruction of the appeal hearing of Jewish far-left activist Pierre Goldman. Sentenced to life imprisonment for four armed robberies, one of which resulted in the death of two women, Goldman proudly admitted to the robberies but vehemently maintained his innocence to the charges of murders. A landmark case in French legal history, his trial became a highly charged public and political spectacle and a proxy battlefield for ideological conflict in 1970s France, attracting huge interest and publicity and polarising public opinion.

The film merges elements of documentary research and dramatisation, with the director and screenwriter meticulously drawing upon transcripts, newspaper archives and interviews with key participants to recreate the trial’s proceedings. Simultaneously, they mine the inherent drama in the situation and create a fascinating portrait of an individual who is, so he claims, himself facing partisanship and injustice. As Goldman puts it in court: “I’m innocent because I’m innocent. Not even you can change the fact.” Such a provocative approach exposes him to the risk of a death sentence.

A rabble-rousing agitator, the theatrical and at times insufferable, Goldman alleges police corruption, anti-semitism and racism. He had an alibi, but his main defence is almost aggravatingly simple: he didn’t do it because he didn’t do it. A nightmare of a client, he insists upon arguing elements of his case himself and refuses to allow his lawyers to offer any character witnesses because he believes his own word should be enough.

As illustrated in last season’s screening of Anatomy of a Fall, there is something inherently entertaining about the way the French conduct their trials, even down to the way in which members of the jury are allowed to put questions to the accused and witnesses. The Goldman Case is a deep dive into the intricacies of, the sometimes chaotic, French legal proceedings, with, in this case, sudden explosions of sound and fury emanating from all corners of the courtroom, usually instigated by another intemperate outburst from the irascible accused.

The film examines how truth is constructed in a courtroom, where emotion, rhetoric, and ideology often matter as much as evidence. As such, both the defence and prosecution manipulate narrative and perception, illustrating how legal “truth” can diverge from historical facts. The only relevant facts are those that can be proved to the requisite standard.

The result is an intriguing and immersive drama, which garnered several awards, including the César and Lumiere Best Actor awards for Arieh Worthalter’s portrayal of Goldman.