Friday, June 06, 2014

Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, George C. Scott. Directed by Otto Preminger. Rather long courtroom drama about a small-town lawyer (Stewart) defending a man (Gazzara) on murder charges after the man killed his wife's (Remick) rapist. This was probably a somewhat racy movie back in '59, but today it seems rather stilted and underdone. There are some fine performances in it, however, particularly Stewart, who towers over the courtroom scenes, and O'Connell and Arden, who are both fine in supporting roles. Music by Duke Ellington, who also appears onscreen. Although the film was released in 1959, it was shot in black and white, which might turn off some viewers. (English subtitles are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B  

No comments: