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The Pelican Brief (1993)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula · Cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt

PG-13141 min217 frames

ThrillerCrimeDrama

Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One lone law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead.

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Stills, screencaps & shots from The Pelican Brief

16 of 217 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A dark outdoor space with dense, out-of-focus foliage visible behind a man. The man in a sleeveless…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A dark indoor space features a wall with a large window and greenery outside. A man in a suit sits…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: fullbody — An empty nighttime city street features a brick building and parked classic car. A woman wearing a…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A dimly lit hotel bathroom shows a man preparing for bed. The subject stands bare-chested and grooms…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: closeup — An interior office space features a dark chair and a framed painting behind him. A man in a suit…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: establishing — A vast expanse of water reflects the light of a setting sun. Numerous birds fly across the…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A residential bathroom with patterned wallpaper and an adjacent bedroom visible through the doorway.…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: wide — A dark, wood-paneled law office features two oil paintings on the walls and tall bookshelves. An…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: wide — A subterranean subway platform features vaulted concrete ceilings and parallel escalator banks. Several…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: wide — A sparse conference room features a large black oval table centered under hanging lights. Seven…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: establishing — A vertical view looking up through the rectangular center of a stairwell structure. Stark white…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: establishing — A red brick academic building with white columns features a grand entrance with stairs. The…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: closeup — A man in a grey suit and a woman in a cream sweater embrace closely. The background is a dark,…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A cluttered bedroom features a large bookshelf and a framed poster on the wall. A man in a dress…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A professional interior office space features a man and woman seen through venetian blinds. They…The Pelican Brief (1993) movie still: medium — A dimly lit log cabin interior features wooden walls and various hanging rustic equipment. A man in a…
The Pelican Brief (1993) — © Warner Bros. Pictures

The Pelican Brief — official trailer

What is The Pelican Brief about?

A law student's theory about the recent deaths of two Supreme Court justices embroils her in a far-reaching web of murder, corruption, and greed.

Where can you watch The Pelican Brief?

US availability for The Pelican Brief (1993). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in The Pelican Brief?

Who made The Pelican Brief?

What does the cinematography of The Pelican Brief look like?

Across 200 sampled frames, The Pelican Brief builds its coverage from medium shots (59% of the sample), with wide compositions (20%) carrying much of the rest. Cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt keeps 51% of it in soft, naturalistic light. 42% of the frames play at night or in the failing light of dusk. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 74% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1990s.

What is the color palette of The Pelican Brief?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of The Pelican Brief (1993) are #302e2c, #52504c, #141414, #d3d1cb, #f6f6f4, #91908b — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #302e2c
  • #52504c
  • #141414
  • #d3d1cb
  • #f6f6f4
  • #91908b

See the full The Pelican Brief colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

The Pelican Brief ranks in

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Techniques in this film

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