244. Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Starring: James Stewart

George C. Scott

Lee Remick

IMDB Rating: 7.9

My Rating: 7

"Maybe you're too pure Paul. Too pure for the natural impurities of the law."

Anatomy of a Murder is your classic David vs. Goliath story set in a courtroom. Paul Beigler (James Stewart) is small town lawyer and former district attorney. He is approached by Laura Manion (Lee Remick) about representing her husband Lt. Fredrick Manion (Ben Gazzara). Lt. Manion shot and killed Barney Quill after he supposedly raped and beat Laura Manion. After meeting with Lt. Manion and his wife several times, Beigler decides to defend them. At the murder trail, Beigler finds that he is going up against high powered big city prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott). The trial that follows is heated, and often unpredictable.

The film is based on the novel by John D. Voelker. The novel was based on the Lumberjack Murders which are located just a few miles from the production of the film. Unlike many other court dramas, I did not know which side I agreed with. I found that this made the film much more watchable. Other films, will spell out who is right and who is wrong. The film treats you as a member of the jury, and not as a spectator.

James Stewart is excellent as always. When an actor of his caliber is at work, it's as if everything else around him does not matter. A sarcastic character would normally seem inappropriate in a courtroom drama. Although, Stewart brings entertainment and brilliance to a role that could have easily been played straight. I found nothing special about George C. Scott's performance. He made his character seem unlikable, and that is about it. He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but I contribute that more to a well written character.

Anatomy of a Murder is a great courtroom drama. It serves as a lesson on how the judicial system works in the case of a murder trial. It moves at a very slow pace until we get to the courtroom scenes. So if you don't have patience, this movie is not for you. If you can sit down and invest the time and attention the film deserves, this film does really pay off.