Slightly Dated…
A small time lawyer is hired to defend a soldier accused of murdering his wife’s rapist in an uncontrollable fit of rage. The courtroom proceedings become a chess game between the small town lawyer and the high powered big wig brought in to prosecute the case.
Jimmy Stewart is his usual solid self. Gazarra and Scott have some real quality moments in this film… but the star was the fresh faced Lee Remick as the flirty and flighty blonde. This film made her a big star and, 40 years later, it is still very easy to see why.
Watching it 40 years after it’s release, taking in to account all the courtroom drama imitations since, you might find the film clichéd with a ‘Matlock’ quality. I concede that this film has lost much of the power it once had. Nevertheless, Anatomy of a Murder is a skillful and intriguing classic, that was controversial and risqué back in 1959, and it still provides a fun evening of entertainment.
