Anatomy of a Murder

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My K2K leads me to another great movie.

Anatomy of a Murder is a long, somewhat complex, but completely engrossing courtroom drama. I don't know if it really breaks down the murder so much, what it really does is show the way the lawyers try to spin or manipulate the jury with their poise, questions, showmanship, etc. It finds a nice moral gray area... it's never clear just how innocent the defendant is, so we;re not always sure how to feel about what is going on. For a movie from the late 50's, it talks about rape in (relatively) blunt terms, which is a bit of a surprise. (Although, the rape victim seems a little too laid back. Then again, it is somewhat ambiguous if she is actually a victim).

It's got some great black and white, deep focus type photography, the kind where some of the shots are quite complex, but without ever feeling show-offy. I dig that.

James Stewart is perfect as the lead. This movie is a little dark, and very long, and it could be a slog with the wrong actor. But he adds a touch of charm and humor that carries you along... you're sympathies are with him, even if you aren't so sure about his client.


I Netflixed this one because I have heard good things about director Otto Preminger, and so I looked up his filmography and picked one that was considered good and had a good cast. (Not only Stewart, but also George C Scott and Roadhouse's Ben Gazzera. Nice). Well, I'm sold. I will definitely have to check out another one of his films. Laura is now on my queue.

So my point is, good call Dan for your K2K this year.