Written by Luca Melis; edited by Charlotte Lewis
There is something profoundly unsettling about watching the most traumatic moment of a person’s life, the gruesome shock death of a life partner, being reduced to a crude CGI render of their last moments alive, having this render weaponised against you, all while being broadcast to millions of strangers. This is the feeling that permeates all two hours and thirty minutes of ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, the acerbic French courtroom drama that garnered five Oscar nominations, securing a win for Best Original Screenplay. Carried by the engrossing Sandra Hüller, the film follows the prestigious writer Sandra Voyter and her partially blind son Daniel grappling with the death of her husband Samuel, whose body is found sprawled and bloodied at the foot of their chalet by the family dog, the appropriately named Snoop. After the cause of death is ruled inconclusive, Sandra finds herself under investigation for the suspected murder of her husband. Our protagonist wears many of the contemporary badges of material success. An acclaimed writer living in the remote splendour of the French Alps with her loving family, her idyllic façade is pierced in the film’s opening minutes by one of the most unnerving uses of diegetic sound I’ve seen in a film in some time.
As the story progresses, the layers of Sandra’s relationship with her husband are peeled back to reveal simmering tensions and unresolved resentments. Her son’s visual impairments add another layer of unreliability to the circumstances of Samuel’s death.
Director/Writer Justine Triet went to great lengths to immunise her excellent script from melodramatic elements typically associated with the murder-mystery subgenre. The setup and overall narrative are deceptively simple, refusing to indulge impulses to overcrowd the story with divergent perspectives or cheapen it with shock value. Tonally cold and emotionally distant besides a few genuinely heart-stopping scenes, the film is as methodically presented as the prosecution’s ruthless case against our protagonist. As the case plays itself out in the courtroom, Sandra’s gender and sexuality are probed relentlessly by the prosecution, the press and eventually her own son. The audience is led down a path of self-doubt and scrutiny along with Sandra, beginning to question her judgement and her integrity. Sandra’s own personality and presentation also make great cannon fodder for the courtroom. She speaks matter-of-factly, wears little makeup and is emotionally guarded, save for the private moments at home comforting her traumatised son. All of these traits are generally not considered stereotypically feminine in French society and do not work in her favour in the spotlight. In their limited onscreen interaction as a couple, she is male-coded as the main breadwinner and the self-assured pragmatist. Samuel, on the other hand, is more family-focused and plagued by self-doubt regarding his career.
The film can partially be read as a critique of the ‘Trial by Twitter’ phenomenon, satirising the ways in which contemporary gender perceptions can influence the outcomes of public court cases. The film’s greatest strengths are the standout performances across the cast. Hüller walks a tightrope between earnest vulnerability and emotional ambiguity, giving the audience just enough room to question our trust in her. Swann Arlaud radiates charisma as her sharp-witted defence lawyer and lifelong friend. Milo Machado-Graner as the son Daniel is outstanding, especially considering he is not visually impaired in real life. His emotional devastation brought on by such a traumatic experience is never in doubt, and his character’s highly perceptive instincts are played to great dramatic effect. A special mention goes to the family dog Snoop, played by Messi the border collie. With his on-set discipline and the subtleties of his body language carrying the most pivotal scene in the film, it’s safe to say he was utterly robbed of the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Oscar this year. The ‘Palm Dog’ award at Cannes will have to suffice for now.
‘Anatomy of a Fall’, while imperfect and occasionally dragged down by its length, is a thoroughly engrossing drama that revels in your doubt and dissonance. Its meticulously crafted setup and stellar performances demand your attention until the end, leaving you laser-focused on what exactly happened on the day of Samuel’s death. For anyone anticipating a cheesy murder caper with snappy dialogue, this film is highly grounded in reality, with all of the uneasiness and moral ambiguity that entails.
4/5
Image-Elle magazine