Anatomy of a Murder

Starring: James Stewart, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott, Duke Ellington (cameo)
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama
1959

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A small town lawyer (James Stewart) defends an army soldier (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering the man who raped his wife (Lee Remick).

Review:

Tim: This is one of the greatest courtroom dramas ever filmed. This movie really shows the nitty gritty of a trial. The witnesses, examination, and cross examination take up the bulk of the film and are totally engrossing.

James Stewart makes an outstanding lawyer. His humor and wit make him very likeable. Every time he objected to something, I had to smile because he does it so convincingly and always at the best times. He had a terrific character to work with, but Stewart alone could bring him to life.

George C. Scott is good as his courtroom opponent. The most enjoyable scenes of the film are the verbal brawling that takes place between the prosecution and the defense.

The story is very interesting- a man on trial for killing the person who raped his wife. This unfolds slowly in the courtroom and makes for a very powerful drama. The age of the film shows a bit in its discussion about rape (some very old fashioned ideas) and I especially didn't like the laughter when discussing the panties- while this was daring in the late 1950s, today it seems silly and trivializes the seriousness of rape.

All in all, this is an intense, finely acted film, and one of the the best courtroom dramas of all time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life, The Philadelphia Story, Patton, A Civil Action, A Time to Kill