Alan

Print PageI followed the investigativeaccounts of thevon Bulowcase with thatspecial attention I always pay to the troubles of society people.With theiradvantages and connections, theyhave abetter chance ofbeing involved in a stimulatingcrime. Some of them, it is true,simply stab or shoot one another, but a few go to the trouble ofusingclassic means:poisons anddeceptions,subterfuge and wit. With all the lack ofsubtlety inmodern murder, it isheartening tofind that a few people stillaspire to theperfectcrime.Having seen "Reversal of Fortune," the story of Clausvon Bulow'stwotrials on thecharge of attempting to murderhis wife, I am nocloser than before to a clearidea ofwho didwhat, orwhy. That is thecharm of the movie. Something terrible happened to Sunnyvon Bulow on that winter day 11 years ago, andnobody knows exactlywhat it was. The victim still lingers in a coma. Her husband was convicted of attempted murder, buthis conviction was overturned, and there iscompelling suspicion that some of theevidence usedagainsthim wasfishy.Now wehave this film,based on abook by Alan J. Dershowitz,the famous Harvardprofessorwho conducted Clausvon Bulow'sappeal. It is a surprisingly entertaining film -funny, wicked,sharp-tongued and devious. Itdoes notsolve thecase, nor intend to. I amafraid it only intends to entertain. Because Sunnyvon Bulowdoes lie in a coma, Ifelt atfirst alittleguilty that I enjoyedthe film somuch. But I am in attendance as acritic, not apriest orprosecutor, and like the other witnesses I can onlytestifyfrom my own experience.Thegenius of "Reversal of Fortune" is that the story isnarrated by Sunnyfrom her sickbed. We hear hervoice, wondering aloud at thechain ofevents caused by that daywhenshe sank into her longsleep.Sheguides us through the details of thecase. She reminisces about thefirsttimeshe met Claus, aboutwhatshefelt forhim, about how theirmarriageprogressed. She confesses herself as confused as anyone aboutwhat happened on herlast day of consciousness. "You tell me,"she says, and somehow this gives uspermission tolook atthe film in amoregenial mood.Theopening shot,takenfrom a helicopter, showsthe great mansions of Newport, R.I. Theystand like sentinels at theedge of the sea,flaunting their wealth atthe waves. In one of those mansions Sunnylived with Claus and the children they had together orpreviously. How could one not be entertained by living in such a place? And yet Sunny seems to seek the escape of unconsciousness. Sheabuses pills andalcohol. Afterbrief forays intothe worldshe retreats to herbed. She is not reallypresent for her family; her mind is clouded, and her memory shaky. While her body goes through themotions ofsmoking and drinking and taking pills, her mind yawns and dozes.One dayshe nearly dies,probably of anoverdose, but isrescued intime. A year later,she is not so lucky, and bythe time help is summonedshe is in a coma. What happened? The maid saysshe was worried for hours before Claus would let her call for help. Claus says he thoughtshe wassleeping;she had oftenslumbereddeeply before.But how didshe end up on the bathroomfloor? Andwhat about theinsulin? Did Claus administer a near-fataloverdose? Whoseinsulin was it, anyway? Andwho found it? The question of theinsulin iswhatfinallybrings Alan Dershowitz into theappeal, after Claus is foundguilty. Theevidence was gathered byprivate investigators hired by Sunny's children, and then turned over to the authorities. Dershowitzdecides that the richsimply cannot bepermitted to hire their ownpolice anddecideamong themselveswhichevidence should bemade available. It isn'tfair. There arealso questions about many other aspects of thecase - so many that, if Claus is notinnocent, there is at least no way toprove that he isguilty