Great touch which we missed: Bacon saw it coming. He saw Cruise was getting Nicholson agitated and realized his best hope was to ask for a recess, which he did. But it was just a second too late - Nicholson was already so pissed that he was going to forget the court verdict and give a speech which incriminated him.
Cruise does an excellent job when he gets the answer from Jessup that he was hoping for. The way he acts it shows that his character clearly hadn't thought of "what happens if I win?"
that is brilliant acting, because of course he read the script. but the character was sure he'd lose and be charged with a crime for accusing a superior officer of a crime.
As much as I love this, it makes me chuckle that Jack is yelling “I object” and the judge is yelling “Consider yourself in contempt”, yet Tom is allowed to continue with his questioning.
One of the best speeches in the history of American cinema. Cruise's character took immense personal and professional risk to get out of the Colonel what he needed to prove his clients' innocence. But ironically the Colonel's speech, while self-incriminating and somewhat sinister, has a very powerful ring of truth. And obviously Jack delivers as no other actor could.
@@Dumbluck14 If you're being paid a fortune and that's your job then you would spend whatever time it takes to get those lines right. Think about if you're just sitting there for a few nights, for hours, practicing that one delivery. You could do it. You couldn't do it as well as him, but you could remember the lines.
@@damachine3 It's not only money. It's the talent, first and foremost. Some, with practice, can imitate jack tone an, perhaps deliver. Jack Nicholson did it first, and that speech has been a part of popular culture since.
Nicholson is just amazing here. It's one of those segments that is acted so well ... you get lost in the story as if it were real. I never tire of watching this scene.
I 100% agree, Cruise is highly rated as an actor among his peers, including classical actors for his role in 'Valkyrie' and others for 'Rain Man' and so on. He is a fine actor and very dedicated to his art as well. For his role as Vincent in 'Collateral' he spent weeks in disguise in the town where the character came from, because he wanted to actually become the character. I also think his portrayal of emotions in 'War of The Worlds' is first class.
for his role in 4th of July as a someone who had lost his legs he went to the Galleria (very large multi-floor shopping mall in Dallas) in a wheelchair in disguise
@@mikemartin5749 - The Godfather Part II - Fredo's Death, Empire Strikes Back - "No I am your father", Apocalypse Now - Helicopter Attack, The Dark Knight Rises - The last 5 minutes, Raiders of the Lost Ark - The face melting scene, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Chief escapes, Interstellar - Cooper gets to see Murph one last time, Titanic - The ending, Braveheart - The execution scene ("FREEDOM"), Psycho - The truth about mother, Edward Scissorhands - "Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in it", Memento - "You make up your own truth", Scarface - The scene where Tony realizes he killed his brother in law,. I can post more but I really just picked some of my favorite films and the best scene from each one.
I think they both overact in this scene but overall, I think Cruise is a better actor and more multi-dimensional. Nicholson to me has always been overrated, especially over the past 20 years or so when he began to mail in his performances and just be Jack. Nothing more, nothing less.
Pokeysaurus in my opinion, Cruise is a professional, and always underrated when it comes to his acting/performances, but you’re correct about Nicholson’s performance, he stole the show, and has one of those monologues that will be forever remembered.
Classic stuff! Brilliant acting by Jack Nicholson once again. This is one of the best movie scenes of all time. I just can't get tired of watching it. We want Jack on that wall!!
"Just following orders." Soldiers in Germany in the 40's that didn't consider themselves Nazi's were just following orders too. "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Refusing to follow orders in Germany didn't just mean your life was at risk, it also meant the lives of your family were at risk. US Military you refuse orders, an Article 15 to you is the worst outcome lol, only an idiot would compare the 2.
wim Toonen I suggest you do some research in to the different branches of the SS pal, before you try and ‘educate’ others. Try looking up waffen SS and the SS units that carried out the final solution, death squads etc......BELLEND
"You snotty little bastard..." "Your honor I'd like to ask for a recess!" "I'd like an answer to the question judge!" I love that exchange, Caffee knew he had him, he was gonna make him say it. That's part of what makes Jessup so crazy, he was proud of it. He gave an order that caused a man to die and was going to throw away 2 men's lives without a care in the world because he was "right".
It's the decision of life over death, those not in the military and not able to see it first hand can understand. I agree with Jessup Code Red because our country wants the best to be able to handle anything, not someone to cracks under pressure.
@@christophergill3047 its fine to say if you join the military then you should be held to a high standard, but the punishment for not living up to that standard isn't, and never should be death. Jessup gave an order that directly led to the death of a man, that mans crime was, to quote Lt. Weinberg "he couldn't run very fast". Then on top of that, he throws the two men who followed HIS order (fucked up as it was) to the dogs, they would have likely been executed, and Jessup would have walked away clean. So if Jessup was right to have one weak soldier killed "culling the weak" why did he intend to have two good soldiers die as well? He throws away who he wants to, not who he needs to.
@@christophergill3047 na bro, I’d take it if Jessep manned up from the start and took responsibility. He instead threw to subordinates to the wolves. Man can eat a bag of dicks.
I think it was when he won his Oscar for "As good as it gets" that he met Robin Williams backstage and said (according to Williams): " Well, Robbo. Now i've got one for every decade". 🤣
I love this movie. Tom Cruise is fantastic and Jack Nicholson is just awesome in this role. In fact, I watched the last part of the movie today on AMC including this part. Awesome , as usual. 🤤🤤
They did this scene in 1 take. The director was going to change the scene if it took more than once to do. they had 6 cameras filming. One take. Both actors did a great job.
Jessup said Santiago was a weak marine and would be no good in times of war. In his eyes getting rid of the weak men on the wall allows the stronger men to fight...thus saving lives. I hope that makes sense.
Transfer to what? Where? So someone else will deal with the same thing? Listen. There are certain breeds of us to soldier. And those that need not apply. The process is jacked from the get go.
You don't make sense. The military has procedures for retraining and if needed, removing problem personnel. I know because I have personally used them. Murder is not one of those procedures.
@@onepomofo First of all It's called an administrative separation. When a Marine fails to adapt he's separated from service and sent home. Second of all as a Marine I can attest that all to often failures in performance are almost always caused by failure in leadership. And Jessup failed in the most spectacular way.
Attorney: Did you order the code red? Judge: You don't have to answer that. Witness: I'll answer it. (Gives irrelevant five minute speech about the Marines that nobody finds unusual or interrupts)
From the original play: "You trashed the law! But hey, we understand, you're permitted. You have a greater responsibility than we can possibly fathom. You provide us with a blanket of freedom. We live in a world that has walls and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns, and nothing is going to stand in your way of doing it. Not Willie Santiago, not Dawson and Downey, not Markinson, not 1,000 armies, not the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and not the Constitution of the United States! That's the truth isn't it Colonel? I can handle it."
@@lancehamner7902 He clearly said "from the original play", so not only do you prove that you can't read, you were also wrong about telling someone to keep their day job, because this play become a script for a movie...you got 2 things so wrong in 1 sentence and I gotta say I'm pretty amazed lol...
That monologue is just great. "You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives." That really makes you think twice. Col Jessep is not your usual movie bad-guy. That man believes in something, represents some cause. Who knows, maybe he is son of a bitch so you don't have to...? Maybe some of us really do need him on that wall?
I spent 8 years in the military, and that's the last guy you want on the wall with you. A commander who hung 2 of his soldiers out to dry is the kind of commander that no one respects.
Only an actor of Nicholson's caliber could have overshadowed every other actor in a single courtroom scene in a two-plus hour film. He is and always will be the master.
Jack Nicholson must get a award for his action. I have watched more than 50 times this movie. No vulgarity . So clean . I wish all the best to all actors. One of tom cursie best movie.
Love the professionalism in this movie. Nowadays the opposing prosecutor would be portrayed as evil. Instead it's shown that this business is business, nothing else.
You trashed the law! But hey, we understand, you’re permitted. You have a greater responsibility than we can possibly fathom. You provide us with a blanket of freedom. We live in a world that has walls and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns, and nothing is going to stand in your way of doing it. Not Willie Santiago, not Dawson and Downey, not Markinson, not 1,000 armies, not the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and not the Constitution of the United States! That’s the truth isn’t it Colonel? I can handle it. Kaffee's response from the Stage Version.
Xlfutur1 I didn't go back and Google it but, as I recall, Nicholson was only on the set for 8-10 days because his onscreen time was just a few minutes. He was paid several million dollars to bring his A game and, being Jack Nicholson, he did.
i have done this monologue so many times it crazy. and so many people liked my performance i give a big round of applauseto him for helping me do my thing.
Aaron Sorkin wrote a brilliant screenplay but he needed to change 1 line in this movie; at the end of this scene when Nicholson says"Sweet Dreams son" He should have had Tom Cruise reply"I'm not your son" instead of"Don't call me son" The entire movie Cruise was seeking his late father's approval and that reply would have been more meaningful
Soldiers are by nature pacifists. War is by nature Peace. Freedom is by nature Slavery. Ignorance is by nature Strength. Thanks for your addition to Newspeak, vindicari.
Lt. Caffey was shaking like my grandma with tremor, when he was drinking that glass of water just after he told kernel Jessup to sit his butt down ' 😆 lol
Oh, so Kaffee's the one who uses the Marine Code of Conduct as a punchline? Glad to know it's not the guy who gave an illegal order and then tried to deflect full responsibility onto two of his soldiers in order to save his own ass.
nothing would have come of this if a Marine hadn't died. Jessup was only doing what he felt was necessary to maintain readiness in his unit. But in real life I'm sure the Marine would have been discharged because he could not pass his PT's. One person can endanger the lives of everyone in their unit. ex Navy
