Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Directed by Otto Preminger

Film Review

One of the most compelling and most perfectly constructed of all trial films, Anatomy of a Murder provides not only an exhilarating movie experience but also a pretty uncompromising exposé of the flaws that are inherent in the modern judicial system, one that raises some legitimate concerns over the efficacy of trial by jury.  One of Otto Preminger's best and most provocative films, it also pushed the envelope in its frank allusions to rape, employing terms describing the sexual act that had hitherto been avoided by screenwriters who were mindful of censorship and the exigencies of good taste.  (The amusing 'panties' interlude is an obvious attempt to mock the puritanical stance taken by the Hollywood censors and less liberally minded critics at the time.)  The film was also one of the earliest made in America to have an exclusively jazz-themed soundtrack, supplied by jazz legend Duke Ellington, who puts in a brief appearance as a band leader.

The courtroom scenes that take up the bulk of Anatomy of a Murder are among the most gripping ever to have been filmed, and provide a self-contained instruction manual on how to make a trial-based drama. Wendell Mayes' screenplay (adapted from a novel by a Supreme Court judge, based on a real murder case) is a masterpiece of ingenious wordplay and verbal conflict which provides a pretty sour indictment of the whole trial system, showing how susceptible the system is to syntactic chicanery and how easily a jury can be swayed by the personalities of the individuals leading the defence and the prosecution.  Preminger's flawless direction (note the meticulous blocking and the subtle but highly effective camera movements and positioning) keep the trial scenes fresh and dynamic and never allow the spectator to get bored for a moment.

Best of all is James Stewart's totally mesmerising performance as the small town lawyer who rises to the challenge of defending what is so evidently a hopeless case.  (It is a role that is very reminiscent of the one Stewart had previously played in Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)). The noble righteousness that Stewart exudes makes him a worthy opponent for the smarter city lawyer he comes up against in the courtroom; even though we know instinctively his defence is hopelessly flawed we buy into it, because he is so obviously the good guy and we always like to side with the good guy.  It is only at the end of the film, when the verdict has been delivered and the true character of the defendant and his wife are exposed that we realise how comprehensively we have been duped, just so that James Stewart's secretary can get a new typewriter. 

Truth is the most flexible commodity known to man, and we must not forget that it is a lawyer's raison d'être to refashion the truth in the way that best suits the interest of his client.  If Anatomy of a Murder teaches us anything at all, it is that we should never take at face value anything that a lawyer may say to us.  Unfortunately, lawyers are a damn sight smarter than most juries, and they know it.  If ever you are called upon to do jury service, this is a good film to watch beforehand - it will make you far more aware of the psychological trickery and verbal massaging that barristers employ as a matter of course, and hence far more critical of the evidence that is presented.  If juries were obliged to watch this film before they set foot in the courtroom, it is just possible that we might end up with fewer miscarriages of justices.  But perhaps we shouldn't be too cynical.  As well as exposing its failings, the film offers a powerful defence of the jury system:  "Twelve people go off into a room: twelve different minds, twelve different hearts... And these twelve people are asked to judge another human being as different from them as they are from each other... It's one of the miracles of Man's disorganized soul that they can do it, and in most instances, do it right well."  Still, no system is perfect and it pays to have an open mind. Preminger followed this with a similar film in the 'courtroom drama' line, Advise and Consent (1962), offering an equally vigorous indictment of America's political system.

Film Synopsis

Paul Biegler is a struggling lawyer in a small Michigan town.  Prompted by his alcoholic friend Parnell McCarthy he agrees to take on the case for the defence in an impending murder trial.  The defendant, Frederick Manion, is an army lieutenant who shot dead bartender Barney Quill, believing that he had just raped his wife.  The case for the defence is weak and Manion's only hope is that he pleads temporary insanity.  Biegler is encouraged when an army psychiatrist confirms that Manion had indeed suffered a mental aberration at the time of the killing but he then suspects he may be fighting a lost cause when the district attorney brings in a high-powered city prosecutor to convince the jury of Manion's guilt.  As the trial gets underway it soon becomes clear to Biegler that he must use all of his cunning if he is to prevent his client from being convicted of first degree murder...