Review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) by Ben L — 22 Aug 2017

When you throw together actors I love and a genre that I am passionate about, it?s bound to be a hit for me. I was totally riveted by Anatomy of a Murder and the time flew by so fast I never would have guessed it was more than 2.5 hours. Jimmy Stewart delivers brilliantly as the defense attorney, and he has the kind of small-town vibe that feels appropriate for a guy from the Upper Peninsula. (Just a side note: there is not a single person in this movie who sounds like they are from the U.P., but lack of accents is not a big deal.) I loved when George C. Scott showed up as the big-shot lawyer (from my hometown) because he matched Stewart?s intensity. The back and forth between these two great actors was delightful, and I could have taken another hour of it. It was particularly great because the amiable judge was in the middle of it all adding some levity when things got a little overheated.

I think I might be heading into a territory that some might think of as spoilers, so those who want to avoid them, you should probably skip this paragraph of the review: The big risk that Anatomy of a Murder took was leaving it all somewhat ambiguous. A typical movie about a murder trial makes it clear by the end precisely what happened and why. They make it clear that the defendant is either guilty or innocent, and often that is telegraphed very early on so we know who to root for throughout the case. But in this film they stick to the case, they present facts as they are brought up in court, and they never tell you how to feel. Was the murder justified? You decide. Did a rape occur? Maybe. Was justice served? I don?t know. It?s frustratingly open to interpretation, and my own opinion kept shifting throughout the entire runtime. I think this might grow on me if I watch Anatomy of a Murder again, because it puts you in the mind of the jury, but for now I find the lack of clear-cut answers a little aggravating.

I love the way law is practiced in movies. I know that much of the drama and surprises don?t really happen this way in reality, but it is so exciting for me to watch. There are lots of twists and turns in this film that kept me guessing, and the results of the verdict were a mystery to me right up to the end. It did feel like there were some odd rabbit trails taken in the investigation of the case, and I think people who don?t love this kind of movie could get bored with Anatomy of a Murder. However, I took it all in stride and found that many of these things became significant later, so it was all worth the journey. Perhaps the one aspect that never totally clicked for me was the relationship between Jimmy Stewart and his coworkers (the overworked/underpaid secretary, and the drunk partner.) Otherwise, this is a unique film that took some chances and most of the time they paid off big for me. It had moments that made me laugh, and it also had some gripping drama that had me holding my breath. I?m anxious to watch it again and see if it clicks even more on a rewatch.