A Jewish driver kills a black youth in a hit-and-run accident in Harlem and is not prosecuted. The black community's reaction ends in the death of a white motorist, but should the killer be ... Read allA Jewish driver kills a black youth in a hit-and-run accident in Harlem and is not prosecuted. The black community's reaction ends in the death of a white motorist, but should the killer be held responsible for his actions?A Jewish driver kills a black youth in a hit-and-run accident in Harlem and is not prosecuted. The black community's reaction ends in the death of a white motorist, but should the killer be held responsible for his actions?
- Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
- (scenes deleted)
- Jimmy Graves
- (as David Wolos-Fonteno)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn 1997, TV Guide named this one of television's best individual series episodes of all time.
- GoofsShambala Green says that she plans to argue the matter of a church being a refuge from arrest in front of the Circuit Court, the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. However the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals are one and the same, they are just two different names for the same court which is also commonly referred to as the Appellate Court. In some states and countries it is called the Appellate Division and in others the Court of Appeals. It is the second highest court in the United States when it comes to hearing appeals, when a ruling by a Circuit Court judge or jury verdict is appealed the case goes to the Appellate Court where a determination is made on whether or not the Circuit Court's finding were proper and constitutional. If the appeal is on a jury verdict in a Circuit Court and the Appellate judges rule in favor of the defense then the defendant is granted a new trial. 98% of all appeals are decided in the Appellate Court and end there, the only court that is higher than the Appellate Court and has the authority to overrule them is the Supreme Court, however it is rare for the Supreme Court to overrule an Appellate Court ruling, only 2% of appeals are chosen to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
- Quotes
EADA Ben Stone: I'm responsible for my actions, not the color of my skin. And if it makes you feel good to call me a racist, fine. But if you want to know who's really responsible for racism in today's society, take a good look in the mirror.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 46th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1994)
"Sanctuary" is another one of Season 4's best. It is such a powerful and engrossing episode with a lot of tension and emotional impact, the handling of racism not just being hard-hitting and intelligent but also non-biased and not laying it on too thick. Shall elaborate a little more upon this later. Everything that is so good about 'Law and Order', especially when at its best, is present in "Sanctuary" and its boldness is to be applauded. Would have applauded it anyway for even daring to tackle the subject regardless of whether the execution succeeded and failed.
Cannot fault the production values, it's slick and gritty as ever and is one of the better shot episodes of the season. It's intimate with the action but doesn't get claustrophobic. The music doesn't get intrusive and suits the mood well. The direction is understated but provides some great tension in the second half of the episode especially.
The writing is some of the season's very best. It is very tightly structured and is so intelligently written, it provokes a lot of thought and takes no prisoners without being hateful. The story is as bold and hard-hitting as the subject, with an ending that stays with forever for a long time and is not remotely unrealistic, with much emotional impact. It did this without being preachy or resorting to over-obvious messaging (i.e. no beating around the head of racism being bad), and also while not taking sides.
It is one of the few times film or television related that depicts the issue from all sides, and certainly in a way executed as wonderfully and insightfully as it is. Actually saw the issue and the moral dilemmas that come with it in a whole new light. The characters are strongly written and carry the story beautifully, the character of Shambala Green was always welcome and part of me has always wished that she was in more episodes. The acting from lead and support is dead on, Michael Moriarty being a riveting and suitably authoritative and conflicted presence in the latter stages. Tony Todd is typically formidable, Elaine Blomka is affecting and Lorraine Toussaint is again remarkably nuanced.
To conclude, outstanding and one of Season 4's best. 10/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 14, 2020