“Anatomy of a Fall” (2023)

Anatomy of a Fall

Grade: A

One of the best movies of 2023, Anatomy of a Fall is both a taut legal drama and a brilliant character study — an unhurried 150-minute meditation that is filled with subtle tension.

Directing:

Set against the scenic backdrop of the French Alps, Anatomy of a Fall is a beautiful film despite its bleak subject matter — Justine Triet has made the prettiest mariticide movie ever. The fluid camera movement and soft-light cinematography perfectly signify that appearances aren’t what they seem and that facts all come with a point of view. Plus, it’s the perfect amount of visual style to keep the dialogue-heavy, slow-burn courtroom scenes entertaining. Artistically and commercially, Triet succeeds.

Acting:

Courtroom dramas, so long as the dialogue is smart and incisive, are terrific showcases for actors. And Anatomy of a Fall, with its emotional monologues and compelling grandstanding, features terrific contributions from every performer, chief among them Sandra Hüller as the wife accused of murdering her own husband, who never tips us toward guilt or innocence. The supporting cast is equally magnetic, but special praise must be given to Messi the border collie: some of the best dog acting ever.

Writing:

Unlike its namesake (Otto Preminger’s 1959 classic Anatomy of a Murder), Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall is more of a psychological character study than a realistic examination of the flawed French legal system. Nevertheless, it’s realistic enough; sensationalized, sure, but all in the service of making a compelling mystery, with the lengthy trial making us feel the emotional toll of the investigation in real time. It’s a film that you truly want to solve, even if the overarching point is that facts all come with points of view.

Music:

An instrumental version of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” played at max volume contributes to the tension of the opening scene, while an imperfect rendition of Frédéric Chopin’s Preludes later on signifies the case coming together. Anatomy of a Fall lacks a traditional soundtrack, but these seemingly random musical motifs gain a dynamic power as their meanings become clearer. Still, this is a very dialogue-driven movie — there’s no room for music when the actors are the ones delivering the crescendos.

Ending (SPOILERS):

It’s only fitting for a slow burn such as this to end with an anticlimax: even though Sandra (Hüller) is found not guilty, exonerated by the possibly made-up testimony of her blind son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), she feels empty and alone despite having “won” the trial. Her private personal life has been made public, and the final shot of her cuddling the dog is a bittersweet reminder that, yes, life will go on, but it may never fully heal.

It’s a fine ending, quiet solitude, no closer to uncovering the truth than we were when the movie began, one of the only films I’ve seen that is a true 50/50 ambiguity, without any clues to be gleaned on subsequent viewings. Like the characters, we must decide our own truth. For me, I don’t think it was murder or suicide; I think the husband really did just fall. And, as the film intends, my first judgment is my final judgment — the courtroom decides legalities, but the court of public opinion decides life itself.

“You need to start seeing yourself the way others are going to perceive you. A trial is not about the truth…” — Vincent Renzi

Why Anatomy of a Fall gets an A-

An unnerving anti-relationship drama and an engrossing unhurried anti-mystery, like Trier’s The Worst Person in the World (2021) and Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011).

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