Anatomy of a Murder, based on a novel by John
Voelker, with James Stewart
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and
http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This excellent
work of art was included by The New York Times on its list of Best 1,000 Movies
Ever Made:
This
fabulous film was directed by Otto Preminger.
He is the
director of other important movies, one of which I had the pleasure to watch and
note on recently:
-
Advise & Consent
The star of
this fantastic show is James Stewart, the charming actor who acts in so many
classics of cinema:
-
Vertigo, Rear Window, Harvey and It’s
A Wonderful Life- I have noted on both masterpieces recently
Among his
partners in Anatomy of A Murder, Lee Remick who plays Laura Manion, Ben Gazzara
as her husband Lt. Manion and George C. Scott –winner of an Academy Award for
Patton, which he refused- stand out.
Army Lieutenant
Frederick Manion had killed the bar owner Barney Quill, even before the movie
has started.
Notwithstanding
the fact that it is clear who killed Barney Quill, there have been witnesses
and the Lieutenant has confessed, there will be a trial.
And what a
trial.
This courtroom
drama is among the best, in a line up with gems of the Screen Trade:
-
The Verdict, A Few Good Men, Twelve
Angry Men, To Kill A Mocking Bird and other classics of the genre
James Stewart
is Paul Biegler, or in his own words: “a poor country lawyer” who has to face
an experimented assistant state Attorney General named Claude Dancer and
portrayed by George C. Scott.
He is approached
by the attractive Laura Manion, the wife of the jailed murderer to defend her
husband.
Paul Biegler
is a wonderful man and an excellent lawyer, who has to talk with the defendant
in order to decide.
He is
taking the case and has to work hard in order to find a way out, given that the
story of the crime is simple.
The counsellor
will plead temporary insanity.
They are
nevertheless restrained by a lack of funds, given that he is not actually paid
to take this case and may never be.
There is a
way to get a specialist from the army to consult the defendant and indeed, the psychiatrist
confirms the theory of temporary insanity.
Notwithstanding
his diagnosis, this will be disputed and furthermore, the characters are
complex, both the lieutenant and his wife.
Early on we
see him in jail jumping into a fight with another prisoner who says something
about his wife.
During the
trial, the jury learns that he had a “History of Violence „and the question is
raised: was he insane or is this just a pattern?
Laura Manion
is also a complicated woman, whose statement that she had been raped by the
deceased and then her spouse, in a fit of madness went on to kill the man who
had attacked his wife is attacked.
At one
point, Paul Biegler has to take the woman from a bar where she was surrounded
by men and looked on the point of getting drunk.
The attitude
of the wife is not the most reputable and the accusation finds incidents in the
history of the couple.
As a viewer,
I admit that I had many doubts.
Actually,
these doubts have become convictions.
Without giving
any details on the verdict and the procedures in the trial, I will just say
that I did not hang in with the accused.
All right, I
did not want the death sentence, but he seemed guilty and playing his defense, psychiatrist
just to get out.
-
Was he crazy?
-
If you ask me the answer is yes, but
not temporarily…
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