"That's a nice-a donut."
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder is pretty much the textbook case for how to create a courtroom drama. There are several varieties of course, but for the criminal proceeding it goes something like this: Start with a likeable, but flawed, defense attorney. Throw in a complex, many shades of gray, case - preferably one in which the defendant readily admits to wrongdoing but for which there is much more to the story than it initially seems. You also need a sharp, highly successful prosecutor, who is easy to dislike but who you grudgingly respect and admire (as you root for the underdog). Toss in a stern but affable judge and a sultry woman. Finally, make sure that the defense attorney is under some financial pressure, which could be impacted by the court's final decision. That's pretty much the formula for Anatomy of a Murder and while it may seem rather simple or cliched now, Preminger's classic helped to pioneer this technique.
Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is a well-liked former prosecutor in Michigan's Upper Peninsula who now has his own law practice. He usually spends more time fishing and drinking with his old buddy Parnell (Arthur O'Connell) than he does lawyering, though. One day he is asked to take up the case of Army Lieutenant Manion (Ben Gazzara) who is accused of murdering a local bar owner. He claims that he has a good reason, as his wife (Lee Remick) told him that the barkeep had raped her. But while that may buy him some sympathy with a jury, Biegler still needs to mount a credible defense. Namely, by proving that Manion was temporarily insane. The prosecution is fierce, with the district attorney (Brooks West) plus a slick bigshot assistant attorney general for the state (George C. Scott).
Scott doesn't even appear in the movie until about an hour or so into it, but he and Stewart have a classic battle. It is a great back and forth chess match between the legal counsels and, while I'm sure that several liberties were taken with regards to the court realism, it makes for very dramatic theater. The interesting thing is that while Manion is supposed to be the one on trial, much of the time is spent focusing on the rape allegation. One high mark the movie gets is that it plays it rather neutral with regard to Lt. Manion's guilt. Viewers are encouraged to form their own opinions about the subject matter, although ultimately the ending is never really in doubt.
The cast is first-rate. You could never go wrong with James Stewart, and there are certainly no complaints about the other actors. Especially Remick in the role of the sultry woman and Joseph Welch as the judge (who in real life was actually a key lawyer in the Army - Joseph McCarthy hearings just a couple years before). There is plenty of witty humor and fast-talk all around, in part to take some of the sting out of the controversial material, but it also provides a style that says "just because this is a courtroom drama doesn't mean it can't be fun." There is even a jazzy score by the great Duke Ellington (who also has a cameo appearance). It has no doubt influenced countless cinematic court cases since then, with the popular A Few Good Men coming immediately to mind.
The Verdict: A-.
Michael Bentley 4:37 PM
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