I have tried more cases than I can remember - hundreds. This movie, more than any other, comes closet to real life.
In criminal cases., the first and most important thing is - the phone call. That's right, getting the case.
Next comes the 'talk.' An attorney has to inform the client of the possible outcomes given the facts. In Anatomy of a Murder, the main facts are 'undisputed', that is, there is no doubt that the defendant killed the victim.
Given that fact, there are only so many possible defenses - and so Jimmy Stewart, in one of the best performances of his career, relates those defenses to Ben Gazzara, in one of his best performances.
Along the way, we are treated to George C. Scott's premiere performance on screen - and it is is magnificent.
Did I mention how incredible and sexy and vulnerable Lee Remick is?
And the rest of the cast is also as good as it gets.
And then there's the Duke Ellington score (he won a Grammy) and the Wendell Mayes screenplay and the B/W cinematography by Sam Leavitt (The Defiant Ones (Oscar-winner), A Star is Born (1954)).
Watch this movie to see how to make a crime drama. There is nothing as good as it is - nothing.
