Review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) by Stuart K — 19 Jun 2012
Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, this is a dark yet sometimes darkly witty courtroom drama with a very good ensemble cast, adapted from a book by by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker.
Despite an epic running time, it manages to hold your attention and it benefits from sharp direction and a jazzy music score. Small-town lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is struggling to get by and he's trying to get back into the big league of politics after losing the seat of district attorney, he's helped out by friend Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell) and sardonic secretary Maida Rutledge (Eve Arden).
Biegler gets a call from Laura Manion (Lee Remick), wife of the boorish army lieutenant Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), who has been accused of the murder of a man called Barney Quill, who Manion claims raped his wife.
It goes to court, where Biegler agrees to defend Manion, but he meets his match in the courtroom when he's up against prosecution lawyer Claude Dancer (George C. Scott) and D.A Mitch Lodwick (Brooks West).
It's a good drama with good sharp dialogue and Preminger gets the best out of his cast. James Stewart puts in another dine performance while this put George C. Scott on the map as a great actor. It's got noirish cinematography by Sam Leavitt and a memorable jazzy score by Duke Ellington, who appears in the film, jamming with Stewart.
This review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) was written by Stuart K on 19 Jun 2012.
Anatomy of a Murder has generally received very positive reviews.
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