Review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) by Steve G — 18 May 2013
The lawyer's law film. Probably appeal to an attorney as it expounds the intricacies of a murder trial with greater detail than most probably care to know. Kind of MEANT for the crime drama fan, in the same way that Detroit Rock City was meant for the Kiss fan. So if you're not already into it, you may not find it as appealing as the resident attorney would.
Suffered from a little too much exposition. A bit self-involved & self-aware.
The first 40 minutes were fairly slow-paced, but I will admit that the remaining 2 hours flew by. The conclusion was slightly anti-climactic.
Loved the response of the judge to "The French word is a little suggestive"..."most french words are.".
Lol. line of the film.
Anyhow, you can see how this film challenged the precedents of the film code in it's use of the words bitch, panties, & sexual climax. Kind of surprising for a 50s film, but given the solemn subject matter, not gratuitous. Of course, once the ball starts rolling, it's nearly impossible to stop, & so you end up with smut like Midnight Cowboy just ten years later.
As far as trial films go, it may not be the absolute pinnacle, but this one is certainly worthy of mention.
Kudos for the featuring of the great state of Michigan (for once!) in a film, as WELL as Ontario.
This review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) was written by Steve G on 18 May 2013.
Anatomy of a Murder has generally received very positive reviews.
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