Cinthia's Movie Corner

"Anatomy of a Murder" (1959) - Drama

Rating: UR (unrated)

Starring: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazarra.

Rating: 3.7 stars

Nominated for 7 Oscars, here's another sample of James Stewart's eternal awesomeness. Why then, you might ask, have I chosen to give it less than 4 stars? Although this compelling courtroom drama with superb acting keeps you guessing, it delivers a pretty weak punch in the end, by today's standards. Some movies will forever retain their brilliancy and audiences of today will still be awed as yesterday's audiences were; but other films are not equipped to survive their journey through time. In 1959, "Anatomy of a Murder" was the top notch legal drama of all time, offering a view into a world not yet familiar to movie audiences. Since the appearance of courtroom gems like "The Verdict" (with Paul Newman), the genre has become ultra exciting, with plots offering the most unimaginable twists, leaving you gasping and exhilarated in the end (witness "Presumed Innocent", with Harrison Ford, and "Primal Fear", with Richard Gere). So, although this movie was the predecessor of all those exciting ones that sprung forth from its seed, the lukewarm ending leaves you slightly put out. Stewart plays a somewhat washed-up lawyer who defends a soldier accused of murdering the man who raped this wife. The concept of "temporary insanity" was still a new thing, and spectators back then must've been quite fascinated as the movie explains what it means. The film keeps it interesting as Stewart's character finds that things are not as black and white as they seem. All the actors deliver fantastic interpretations and I still recommend you watch it because of the significance of the film, and how it helped influence others that came later; but don't expect a thrill at the end. The most thrilling thing about it is the acting - especially by Master Stewart.