The Odds Against (1966)

This is a very dry docu-drama depicting the troubles of the young “Johnny” (Robert Viharo) who grew up orphaned, in the system, became a petty thief then a burglar then a prisoner. Facing a stretch of 3-10 years for burglary, a lot rests on his parole hearing but by this point it’s pretty clear that this man has little motivation. What’s obvious here are the shortcomings of the criminal prosecution processes in the USA. In many cases it’s a postcode lottery regarding how long you are on remand, the facilities provided when you are, the quality of the lawyer provided to defend you and finally the attitude of a judge presiding over a conveyor-belt of cases that nobody really has the time - or the inclination - to prepare properly for. Not that he has many lines, but the fact that this is scripted doesn’t really help “Johnny” come across as anything other than a recalcitrant, but I’d have to say that the judge and the parole board of officers didn’t exactly come across as intellectual high-rollers either. Indeed, either nobody bothered to rehearse or it is an entirely more naturally mono-syllabic dialogue we are to enjoy. It has points to make, but the dramatic elements detract from them and leave us with quite a dreary and lumbering product.