【法律電影】《力爭上遊(The Paper Chase)》

1973年，美國導演JamesBridges以當年的哈佛法學院的實際情況，拍攝了一部名叫「ThePaperChase」的電影，中文翻譯為《平步青雲》。這部無論導演和演員陣容都並非豪華的電影在後來連續的幾十年中，一直都被全美幾乎每個法律系的學生視為「第一堂必修課」。

　　Chase，翻譯過來是「追擊、追逐」的意思。The Paper Chase，簡單直接就道破了法律中追逐纏夾的本性，卻不知道為何被按上這麼一個無甚相關的中文名字。也許在作者理解中，進入哈佛法學院攻讀法律專業，就離光榮與夢想的美式好生活相差無幾———眼看著就要平步青雲、志得意滿了吧。

　　一個世紀以前，哈佛大學商學院創造性地採用了「實例分析」的授課形式以後，哈佛的法學院在不久以後也如法炮製併名噪一時———很快，全美大學的法學院就紛紛修改了自己的授課模式，把一個又一個的案例分析帶進了課堂。
　　翻開厚厚的課本，你會驚訝地發現裡面羅列了各種不同類型的經典案例。至於上課，老師總是手持一份差不多有200多名學生（也就是班上全部學生）的花名冊，連名帶姓還附照片一張，被點中的學生，則要就指定的案例各自發表意見和看法。課堂的唇槍舌劍，正反互辯的緊張程度與真實的法庭其實已相差無幾。在這樣的氛圍裡，學生很快就開始明白，對於絕大多數的案件而言，所謂決定性的優勢並不存在，勝或敗大半就繫於辯護者對案件的分析洞察力以及溝通力之上。
　　因此，每堂課前的預習，就變得意義非凡，無論是不想在課堂上張口結舌，顏面全無，還是想要在課堂上一鳴驚人，博得喝彩，去圖書館搜羅資料，然後凝心思考、提煉觀點都是不得不完成的功課。
　　於是，法學院學生的校園生活就顯得分外忙碌。圖書館是從周一到周四必然要光顧的地方，到了周末，固然可以稍稍放鬆一下神經，找個消費合理環境舒適的酒吧三五成群地去「喝上一杯」，可是酒過不了一巡，大家便會不自覺地「案件重提」，爭論之熱烈比起課堂上有過之而無不及。
　　在每個攻讀法律博士的學生心中，唯一不爭的事實是，美國有太多的好律師，想要出人頭地或者平步青雲，一切都須從眼下做起。

"The Paper Chase" is about an aggressive, very bright, terribly engaging first-year student at Harvard Law School. The movie respects its hero, respects the school, and most of all respects the venerable Professor Kingsfield, tyrant of contract law.

Kingsfield is really the movie's central character, even though John Houseman gets supporting billing for the role. Everything centers around his absolute dictatorship in the classroom and his icy reserve at all other times. He's the kind of teacher who inspires total dread in his students, and at the same time a measure of hero worship; he doesn't just know contract law, he wrote the book.

Into his classroom every autumn come several dozen would-be Harvard law graduates, who fall into the categories we all remember from school: (a) the drones, who get everything right but will go forth to lead lives of impeccable mediocrity; (b) the truly intelligent, who will pass or fail entirely on the basis of whether they're able to put up with the crap; (c) those with photographic memories, who can remember everything but connect nothing; (d) the students whose dogged earnestness will somehow pull them through; and (e) the doomed.

One of each of these types is in the study group of Hart, the movie's hero, and the one who is truly intelligent. He's a graduate of the University of Minnesota and somewhat out of place among the Ivy League types, but he does well in class because he really cares about the law. He also cares about Kingsfield, to the degree that he breaks into the library archives to examine the master's very own undergraduate notes.

Hart is played by Timothy Bottoms, the star of "The Last Picture Show." Bottoms is an awfully good actor, and so natural and unaffected that he shows up the mannerisms of actors like Dustin Hoffman or Jon Voight. Bottoms never seems to try; he's just there, complete and convincing. He falls in love, fatefully, with Susan (Lindsay Wagner), who turns out to be, even more fatefully, Kingsfield's daughter. Their relationship is a little hard to follow in the film; we aren't sure why she treats him the way she doesÑafter all, she loves the guyÑand the movie jerks abruptly in bringing them back together after a split-up.

But that isn't fatal because the fundamental relationship in the movie is between Hart and Kingsfield. The crusty old professor obviously appreciates the intelligence and independence of his prize student, but he hardly ever lets his affection show; there's a great scene in the classroom where he calls Hart forward, offers him a dime, and says: "Call your mother and tell her you will never be a lawyer."

Houseman is able to project subtleties of character even while appearing stiff and unrelenting; it's a performance of Academy Award quality, and resulted in an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Lindsay Wagner, as the daughter, is also a surprise; she made her movie debut in the unfortunate "Two People," which had Peter Fonda as a conscience-stricken Army deserter. She wasn't able to make much of an impression in that one, but "The Paper Chase" establishes her as an actress with class and the saving grace of humor.

What's best about the movie is that it considers interesting adults--young and old--in an intelligent manner. After it's over we almost feel relief; there are so many movies about clods reacting moronically to romantic and/or violent situations. But we hardly ever get movies about people who seem engaging enough to spend half an hour talking with (what would you say to Charles Bronson?). Here's one that works.