Review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) by Alec B — 20 Jun 2011

Better than the standard courtroom drama, the final ten minutes cram way too much into the plot, but its not enough to totally undue the effect of the story. For a film of its time there is remarkable moral ambiguity and even cynicism.

I was expecting some big final closing argument speech from Stewart that sums up the lesson of the movie, but there isn't one, at least not one that Otto Preminger was interested in. I also believe that this is one of Stewart's finest performances, he has his normal charm but here it seems to be hiding serious depression and regret.