Ivan Lalic
James Stewart was one of those everlasting good guys of classic Hollywood, portraying honest and slightly naive characters fighting the system. His role as a inexperienced young lawyer that has to crack a murder case that doesn't seem to look as easy and straightforward as it did when the trail began.
Director Otto Premminger isn't letting anything slip by unnoticed, dissecting the trail process to the very smallest details with discreet, but fanatical persistency. Stewart and Remmick are dancing their dance of hunter and the hunted with ease, while the cross examinations flawlessly manage to raise the temperature of the plot until the very climax and the not so anticipated ending.
"Anatomy of a murder" laid down the foundation for many trail movies while simultaneously enthroning the cross examination as a foundation of the Anglo-Saxon law system.
George Wright
I watched The Anatomy of Murder on TCM for the first time and was tremendously impressed with the characters and cast as well as the overall entertainment value. Shot in 1959 in northern Michigan, the on-location shooting has, over time taken on a period look that further enhances the movie and the story also has the realism of mid-20th century America. Jazz music with a cameo by Duke Ellington is a cool touch from the era. Leading man James Stewart as lawyer Paul Biegler, returns from a fishing trip to his home-based office where he gets by on divorce cases and whatever else comes along to pay his bills. His friend and confidante Parnell McCarthy tells him about an upcoming case that McCarthy feels he should take up. The case involves characters in conflicts involving love, romance, jealousy, and revenge. The courtroom drama was particularly well performed with Stewart and George C. Scott as out-of-town prosecuting attorney Claude Dancer on opposing sides of a murder case, using every trick and strategy to win over the jury. Ben Gazzara and Lee Remick are Lieut. Manion and his wife Laura Manion, who are the centre of the case, with Gazzara, as a Korean War veteran, charged with the murder of a bar employee who allegedly raped Gazzara's wife. Laura is a free spirit who likes male companionship. It is the murder charge, however, that the court must decide. Arthur O'Connell, as Parnell McCarthy, plays a down-on-his-luck lawyer who assists Jimmy Stewart in the leg work and research. Eve Arden is Maida Rutledge, Biegler's secretary, who also fetches beer and keeps track of his personal finances. The courtroom drama is ruled over by the homespun Judge Weaver, played by Joseph Welch, who keeps the courtroom under tight control and makes quick decisions on the line of questioning. The two lawyers engage in a verbal sparring match that must be one of the most dynamic courtroom confrontations ever filmed. A very satisfying movie that never lags despite its length, I would recommend it without hesitation. Full value to director Otto Preminger, one of Hollywood's great directors.
SnoopyStyle
Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is a former district attorney who lost his re-election. He spends his days fishing and talking to his alcoholic friend Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell) and his secretary Maida Rutledge (Eve Arden). Army lieutenant Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara) is arrested for the murder of bartender Barney Quill who supposedly raped his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Biegler leads him to claim insanity. Laura is flirty and Fred is jealous. Assistant DA Claude Dancer (George C. Scott) from the capital Lansing comes to co-chair the prosecution. James Stewart is impeccably solid. The acting is generally terrific. Ben Gazzara is filled with intensity and Lee Remick is acting through her sweater. The plot is a bit long-winded and it's a bit slower than the modern legal procedural. The movie has some of the minutia of court procedures. However this is still a great classic courtroom drama.
Thanos Karagioras
"Anatomy of a Murder" is a mystery movie in which we have a murder trial of a man who killed an another man who raped his wife. The defendant of him supports all his defense in the psychiatrist result which was that the killer is suffered of temporary insanity at the time that he did the crime. On the other hand the prosecution supports that the killer was fine when he did the crime and they avoid to talk about his raped wife.I liked this movie because of the plot and the storyline because it was full of swifts and had much of suspense. I also liked this movie because of the direction of the Otto Preminger who I believe did a great job on it. About the interpretation I have to admit that James Stewart who played as Paul Biegler was simply outstanding for one more time and I also liked the interpretation of Lee Remick who played as Laura Manion. Another interpretation that has to be mentioned is Ben Gazzara's who played as Lt. Frederick Manion and he was really good at it.Finally I have to say that "Anatomy of a Murder" is a great movie to watch because it has plenty of scenes in which you can not expect what will come up and how this will change the whole plot of the movie. This I believe is the most important thing that this movie has and makes it so good, I strongly recommend it.
AD
