MOVIE · 1959

Anatomy of a Murder

CrimeDramaMystery161 min

Small-town Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler comes out of semi-retirement to defend an Army lieutenant accused of killing an innkeeper after his wife says she was raped. James Stewart's Biegler builds the case in and out of the courtroom, sparring with prosecutors as every word of the testimony starts to matter. Lee Remick is the lieutenant's wife, whose behavior and statements keep drawing scrutiny as the trial pushes past a straightforward murder defense. Otto Preminger keeps the focus on legal maneuvering, sexual politics, and the uneasy atmosphere around a killing that quickly becomes a public spectacle.