Classic Pick: Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)
Otto Preminger’s legal thriller Anatomy Of A Murder stars James Stewart as lawyer Paul Biegler, hired to defend Army Lieutenant “Manny” Manion (Ben Gazzara) from murder charges. While Manion admits to killing barman Barney Quill, he claims temporary insanity because Quill raped his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Biegler’s investigation of the incidents brings up numerous complications and questions about what really happened on that night, all told with Preminger’s unflinching camera eye and populated with noir undertones.
Anatomy of a Murder is both an intense courtroom drama and an elucidation of sexual and social mores that are still under debate even today. Manny is an unlikable lout that even his own lawyer has difficulty wanting to defend. Laura Manion, meanwhile, is neither a pure victim nor a pure flirt; much of the case trades on whether or not her rape was “real” rape or consensual sex she later regretted. The film excels at taking a distanced view of the matter, addressing disturbing issues with an almost clinical camera-eye that allows the audience to draw their own conclusions.
At the center are some excellent and compelling performances – everyone from Stewart to the Judge, played by real-life Judge Joseph N. Welch, who famously berated Senator Joe McCarthy. Anatomy Of A Murder also bears the distinction of being one of the first mainstream films to explicitly address rape and issues of female (and male) sexuality. It’s a fascinating movie and well worth a look.
They just don’t make ‘em like this any more.