Anatomy of a Murder

Rating:
Summary: Classic movie - not actually pan and scan...
Review: A couple of years ago, there was a poll conducted among legal professionals (lawyers, judges, etc.) on what they felt was the best and most accurate courtroom picture ever made. "Anatomy of a Murder" was the unanimous choice. Those seeking to enter the legal profession will certainly enjoy this film, but so will those who have a love for classic Hollywood films. Otto Preminger was one of the best directors working in the Hollywood when the studio system began to collapse, and this is probably his best film.
Tightly constructed with a superb cast and crisp writing, this is mainstream entertainment of the highest order.

Never one to let censorship interfer with reality, Preminger often tackled controversial subjects without sanitizing it. His groundbreaking films no longer seem controversial today, but because he never flinches from his subject matter, his films tend to date better than most of the period.

People have complained that this DVD is pan and scan. While it is full frame, it's not actually pan and scan. The film was originally photographed in a way that captured a full frame image, but was intended to be shown in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with the aid of a matte. As such, the film was composed for this aspect ratio. What they did for this DVD is transfer the entire image, exposing parts of the frame that was never meant to be shown. As a result, you have massive headroom in some shots, much more than originally intended, and the added open space ruins the tight compositions that were intended for each shot.

Of course, there are people out there who could care less and just want to fill their TV screens. However, if you really want to see the film in an appropriate setting, seek out the import version of this DVD at amazon.co.uk, which has been matted to the appropriate 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

Rating:
Summary: Ambiguity of a murder.
Review: Best trial-movie ever made--perfect of its kind. Set the standard for the thousands of pale imitators (including TV shows like *Law and Order*) that have followed it. What remains fascinating about this 1959 movie, what keeps it from being dated, is its utter ambivalence towards ALL the characters, perhaps especially the ostensible "heroes": we have James Stewart as a small-town lawyer who'd just as soon listen to his jazz records as continue his law career . . . we have Arthur O'Connell as his drunken mentor who gets in car crashes . . . we have Eve Arden whose one (and apparently only) concern is the status of her next paycheck. And then there's Ben Gazarra and Lee Remick as one of the most unlikeable married couples ever put on screen. (A good title for this movie could've been: "When Bad Things Happen to Bad People".) Perhaps the only person one roots for is the judge, played by real-life judge Joseph Welch who stood up to Joe McCarthy in the Army Hearings fracas. Incidentally, I don't think rape has ever been so dispassionately presented in movies or TV as here. Nary a tear is shed. Odd. Finally, we can also enjoy James Stewart in one of his very best performances (this was his favorite film, along with *It's a Wonderful Life*). As for the DVD, Columbia did nothing particularly special, but they didn't screw it up, either. Ellington's jazz score has been remastered to very nice effect. Picture is crisp (standard ratio). Highest recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Irresistable Impulse??
Review: A Truly fine cast recalls the case of murder in the U.P. of Michigan. Its nice to see Judge Welch( Famous for the McCarthy hearings) display his charm and uncanny timimg.

A hand picked cast delivers the goods in a special way. Eve Arden the long suffering secy, rarely gets paid..and voices her displeasure. Arthur O'Connell as the aging assistant to Stewart is just terrific. Lee Remick is sweet and confused.Ben Gazzara is distant and suffers from all types of "impulses"

George C. Scott persuaded Premminger to take on te role of Atty. Dancer and shows his mettle here( as in Burt in " The Hustler")

Finally, Jim Stewart is just amazing..he whines...possibly overacts a bit..has histrionics in place..yet we cant take our eyes off of him. He rambles and stammers and we dont know for sure if its an act...or just acting. Duke Ellington,s score..is way ahead of its time...for sure..

CP

Rating:
Summary: jimmy gimmie
Review: Pretty good little, no good, doggedy dogg, "who's the man now dog", movie. Great performances all around. I thought Ben Gazarra was great. And so young. And Lee Remick, the girl, whoa. She was a looker. Of course George C. Scott and Stewart were great too. Although I thought Stewart did a little too much dramatics.

The only bad thing about this movie was that I don't think the ending lived up to the great beginning. I thought it was just a great intro, with great little moments that I so miss in modern movies. And I was a little confused about the courtroom specifics, which are kind of a big deal being that this is basically a courtroom drama. And it's not a bad courtroom drama, just sort of typical.

But great beginnng and good dialouge throughout. I think you'll like this more than me Rino. I think it's your kind of old movie.

But I give it a B-

Rating:
Summary: THE LETTER OF THE LAW
Review: If I'm not mistaken, ANATOMY OF A MURDER is the first Otto Preminger movie which has the honour to enter the DVD market. With Billy Wilder and Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger is one of these german or austrian native directors who built the legend of Hollywood after having left the nazi threat in the thirties. The interesting trailer of ANATOMY OF A MURDER you can find as extra feature on this DVD will give you the opportunity to hear the german accent of an Otto Preminger presenting the main actors of the film to the american audience of 1959. A curiosity for the 2001 movie fan.

ANATOMY OF A MURDER is a masterpiece which has really well stood the test of time. Almost three hours of projection which you won't regret thanks to a perfect screenplay and to outstanding actors such as Ben Gazzara, George C. Scott and naturally James Stewart. One can consider this Otto Preminger production as an adult movie for the audience of that period, the word "anatomy" being considered as a metaphor or to the letter. So the evocation by the court of Lee Remick's rape is not censored and described with words one would have hardly imagined in the mouth of a movie legend such as James Stewart.

The modernity of the movie can also be observed in the way Otto Preminger manages to desanctify the "court movie" genre. Just imagine that after 165 minutes of suspense, the director doesn't judge necessary to let the audience hear the final conclusions of James Stewart and George C. Scott,the prosecutor. Totally stupefying.

As bonus features, you will enjoy the trailers of ANATOMY OF A MURDER, PHILADELPHIA and A FEW GOOD MEN, incomplete filmographies of the principal actors, three vintage advertisings and different subtitles. The most interesting bonus feature is a photo presentation of ANATOMY OF MURDER that includes numerous features of the director at work and a musical backgroung of Duke Ellington.

Now, be advised that COLUMBIA TRI-STAR has decided to present you this movie with the artistic butchery of the PAN & SCAN process so one of the most important scenes of ANATOMY OF MURDER , when George C. Scott tries to stress Lee Remick by standing right in front of her so that she can not see the signs of her lawyer James Stewart, loses a great deal of impact.

A DVD for your library.

Or for the garbage can as soon as the widescreen version is available.

Rating:
Summary: Anatomy of a murder hits close to home
Review: This movie was filmed in the town and surrounding areas in which I live, In fact in the scene with the children playing, My mother was one of the children. It is interesting to see the places in the film as they were in the movie compared to how they are today.

Rating:
Summary: Courtroom Tour de Force
Review: Director Otto Preminger's 1959 courtroom drama took shocking chances and holds up today against any modern counterpart. The setting is Michigan's U.P. where soldier Ben Gazzara has murdered a local bartender for a sexual assault on his wife. Jimmy Stewart is a low key local attorney with more than a few tricks up his sleeve and serves as the soldiers counsel. George C. Scott is the aggressive prosecutor who makes for a formidable test of wits and will. Easy-on-the-eyes Lee Remick is great as Gazzara's party girl wife and always reliable character actor Murray Hamilton turns in another solid performance. But it is Boston lawyer and non-actor Joseph Welch as the Judge who steals the show. Welch, fresh from fame in the Army-McCarthy hearings makes the film a delight with his gentle humor and stern reprimands. This film sets the standards for all courtroom dramas and probably the closest contender made since this has been 'A Time To Kill'. There have been a few imitators but you'll want to own the original.

Rating:
Summary: WARNING - DVD is Pan & Scan
Review: I was very disappointed when the first thing I saw upon playing this DVD was the all-too familiar "this video has been modified to fit on your screen" message.

Despite the Pan & Scan, the video quality is very good - watch the trailer to get a feel for what it would have been like without being restored.

As for the movie . . . well, it's dated. There was virtually no suspense in the courtroom scenes, because all of the big shocks that are revealed in court have already been explicity told to the viewer - it's a surprise to the audience in the courtroom, but not to you in your living room. Not something I would rent again.

Rating:
Summary: One of the finest courtroom dramas ever filmed.
Review: Anatomy of a Murder is one of the finest courtroom dramas ever filmed -- on a par with Witness for the Prosecution and Inherit the Wind. Jimmy Stewart gives one of his finest performances as a small town attorney defending an army officer who has coldbloodedly killed a man alleged to have raped his flirtatious wife. The rest of the cast is uniformly good, especially Lee Remick as the beautiful sexy wife and Ben Gazzaro as her jealous husband on trial for murder. Stewart's character is assisted by his old friend, an alcoholic former attorney convincingly played by Arthur O'Connell -- an outstanding character actor whose work, unfortunately, is often overlooked. A young George C. Scott (in one of his first films) plays a skilled and implacable prosecutor. This is movie making at its best; a true classic.

Rating:
Summary: High praise from the highest source.
Review: Hollywood's most distinguished actor (let the record speak for itself) listed this and "It's a Wonderful Life" as his two favorite films. That comment really made me take notice, especially after considering Mr. Smith, Vertigo, Rear Window, Philadelphia Story, etc., etc. And I think he may be right. His character is a more mature, moderated version of George Bailey, but the role is especially challenging because the parameters of belief and subsequent disillusion must be so much more contained. Add to Stewart's performance the others by this perfect cast, along with a steady directing hand but the often erratic Preminger and Duke Ellington's best movie score, and the result is the ultimate courtroom drama--not to mention a great movie.