Review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) by Amanda C — 09 Feb 2011
When I think Noir, I don't think courtroom drama. When I think Jimmy Stewart, I think Frank Capra. So as you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem.
While Stewart is not Sam Spade, he is ex district attorney looking for his next paycheck and stumbles upon a murder trial. It appears that he takes on the case because of the fact that it centers around a woman, rather than he insatiable need for justice.
The courtroom scenes itself are very interesting. Rather than try to just bedazzle the audience with big speeches and wild twists, Preminger paces the twists and turns in a way that makes the viewer feel as though this could have been a real court case. There are no John Grisham moments, but the drama is still very palpable.
Stewart actually surprised me as the morally ambivalent man of the law. George C. Scott is also terrific as the prosecutor.
It I had not recently watched Judgment at Nuremberg and have Kramer's flawless camera work in that film fresh in my mind, I would have rated it higher. Preminger just doesn't have that presence that Kramer has, but it isn't bad.
Overall, a great watch.
This review of Anatomy of a Murder (1959) was written by Amanda C on 09 Feb 2011.
Anatomy of a Murder has generally received very positive reviews.
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