The Advocate
Directed by Leslie Megahey, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Colin Firth, Lysette Anthony, Ian Holm, Donald Pleasence, Amina Annabi, Nicol Williamson.

This British-made production is set in late medieval France, circa 1400. A young Parisian lawyer moves from the city to the small town of Abbeville, favoring noble notions of bringing the law to the masses rather than pursuing social and career advancement in the city. He finds himself confronting criminal cases governed by superstition and mob rule. He also learns how laws exist to sustain and advance the religious and feudal status quo. In 600 years, little has changed except the costumes and the discovery of DNA testing.

This article appears in October 28 • 1994 (Cover).

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.