I watched the film “Anatomy of a Fall”, which won at the Cannes Film Festival. A masterpiece that not everyone will understand

Last May, the film “Anatomy of a Fall” took the main prize of the Cannes competition – the Palme d’Or. In the fall, the triumphant film reached Russian cinemas, and in the winter it appeared on streaming services.

The story itself seems like a French intellectual empire drama with lots of dialogue and few twists, but the film received high marks not only from film critics, but also from general viewing.

We have already seen the film and will hasten to share our impressions. We were pleasantly surprised, first things first.

The film pretends to be a detective story, but it’s a drama

What is the movie about: Anatomy of a Fall tells the twisted story of Sandra Woiter, a successful writer who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her husband Samuel. Events unfold after Samuel falls from the upper floors of their picturesque mountain chalet, resulting in his death.

Anatomy of a Fall starts out like a typical mystery thriller, with the first time the film goes into an intense murder investigation. The plot centers on one suspect, and at first glance, the entire film seems to revolve around one single question: will she, the main character, carry out the murder of her husband?

The opening scene of the film “Anatomy of a Fall” is the key to understanding what is to be seen: it is built on elements of events, silence and communication, permeated with disappointment, which sets the viewer up to expect a special… deeply psychological narrative.

And if in the first fifteen minutes you did not feel the subtlety and style of the story, then it is quite possible that in the future you will be bored watching the film. I repeat, Anatomy of a Fall is more drama than detective.

Although during the entire timing there is a fatal incident that never showed it to the audience, a thorough analysis is carried out: experiments are carried out with mannequins, computer animations are conducted, the professor’s past relationships, psychiatric records and even blood trails are studied (hi, Dexter!). Sound interesting? Certainly.

In many ways, the picture is imbued with sources of criminal accusation, inspired by both “In the Name of All Good Men” and the TV series “The Staircase”.

But director Three deliberately focuses on a varied number of clues, which makes it difficult to see the full picture of what is happening. The more attention is focused on the details, the more difficult it is to understand the situation, and this leads to many unclear points and questions remaining.

As a result, the detective component remains only screen major “investigations” in history. But in fact, the director explores the dark corners of the lungs of the psyche and marriage. We see an exploration of conservatism and difficult topics such as depression, jealousy and guilt. These aspects are evident in the detailed analysis of the relationship between the main character and her deceased husband. Including in the analysis of the behavior of the main characters.

The key points here are in the subtle details, such as the subtleties of Sandra’s character. From the very beginning, when she takes a sip of wine, the viewer sees how she masks her true feelings. As the film progresses, Sandra lies more and more, which creates a suggestion in her words and actions.

This is a subtle and sophisticated drama. Rarity of the genre

The director skillfully combines elements of 90s legal thriller and family drama, carefully exploring the intricacies of family life. The essence of the document is how people love and live, but sometimes their lives are defined both literally and figuratively.

Throughout the course, moments from their marriage are gradually revealed, each of which makes rethink previously formed opinions.

One of the film’s most successful ideas is the protagonist’s blind son, who becomes a key witness for the prosecution. This detail symbolically represents the position of the observer, who also appears in the “blind observer” videos, not having the opportunity to see all the events and left without all the necessary information to fully understand what is happening.

The plot of the film unfolds gradually, and essentially does not reveal anything unusual in the lives of the spouses. Ordinary problems that have naturally accumulated resentment, faded passion, betrayal and manipulation make up a typical set of marriage problems.

One of the most significant moments in Anatomy of a Fall is a flashback in which a tense argument takes place between the main characters. This scene brilliant acting, which masterfully reveals the complexity and emotional intensity of their relationship. It is in this episode that the film’s key themes converge and serve as the climax: hidden grievances, lost passion, infidelity and intricaciescharacterizing their marriage. This deep debate becomes central to the portrayal of the dynamics of their schemes, as well as the overall description of the film’s plot. Here the viewer sees a very strong acting. Respect.

And in general, in the constant spotlight – brilliant performance by actress Sandra Hüller. Her deep and multifaceted performance reflects the character’s inner world, the cycle of how her strength and vulnerability are intertwined.

The film maintains suspense until the very end, providing the viewer with clues in the form of official testimony and flashbacks. This is a work that may cause different opinions among different listenersand that’s great.

The continuity plot is that everything related to the main character causes discomfort, causes doubt and negative influence in the world. The main question of whether she could have killed Samuel fades into the background, making the second part of the film especially unexpected and unpredictable. This is the case when you watch a film with great interest until the very end credits.

An interesting aspect is the use of English in court. This is a key point since Sandra, a German writer, prefers to speak in English. This language barrier not only creates it foreignness and isolationHowever, we question the bias and efficiency of the production process. This gives rise to the theme of intercultural interaction and the complexity of communication in conflict and justice.

The film touches on such complex and varied elements of modern life that this is due to the fact that it all fits into a two-hour format, and not in a multi-episode series, where perhaps there would have been a more detailed discussion of the topic.

It seems, wow – how cool, but in understanding it causes mixed emotions. On the one hand, it implies its own mystery and complexity of plot, but on the other, it sometimes seems that it is drowning in its own ambition.

I regretted not watching it earlier

I put off watching this film thinking it would be too arthouse, but I ended up finding it entertaining and accessible. Albeit with metaphors and omissions.

The film is an interesting and thought-provoking story despite its theme of murder and trials.

He focuses on the fact that the defendants must not only be innocent, but also in appearance in such a way that they resemble the best bean thrillers of the end of the last century. I definitely recommend watching it.