Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

This is probably the greatest courtroom drama ever made and features James Stewart's finest screen performance. The courtroom duels are mesmerising, revealing an America leaving its traditional moral values behind, with a notable Duke Ellington score.

The review commends the film’s commitment to candor in a trial involving rape and murder, its authentic location shooting and procedure, and how it respects the audience by letting facts emerge without easy resolutions. It singles out the cast (especially Stewart) and the value placed on truth over censorship.

The film remains a trenchant, bitter, tough and witty dissection of the US legal system. It is simply the best trial movie ever made, showing that lawyers have to be not only actors but stars, performing for their 12-man audience.

The critic calls it the best courtroom melodrama seen, a potent character study with strong suspense and drama in the trial details. It brilliantly reveals the defense lawyer played by James Stewart in one of his finest performances.

The reissued film is hailed as Preminger's greatest courtroom epic for its ambiguity, real-life judge casting, and exposure of the legal system's cynicism, with strong performances from Stewart, Gazzara and Scott standing out.

The film cloaks itself in smartly tailored ambiguity and irresolution, remaining coolly absorbing and nonchalantly cynical. Preminger refuses standard thriller payoffs while highlighting the score by Duke Ellington and strong performances from Stewart, Remick and Scott.

The critic praises the film’s patient, meticulous courtroom procedure and Preminger’s objective style, which presents multiple viewpoints without pushing conclusions or emotional dominance. It highlights the strong cast performances, Duke Ellington score, and the film’s era-specific pleasures alongside its timeless psychological depth.

The critic finds Preminger's austere 1959 courtroom drama still disquieting on re-release, praising James Stewart's barnstorming turn as the shrewd small-town lawyer who coaches his client on a temporary insanity plea amid moral ambiguities around the rape-murder case.

Preminger creates situations that flicker with uncertainty and sustain interest through mixed and dubious motives. The film balances the fascinating nastiness of the younger players with the warmth and intelligence of Stewart and O'Connell.

The film is a long-drawn-out variation on a whodunit that perks up once the lawyer engages with the client, offering a reasonably diverting courtroom romp with an engaging James Stewart performance.

Praises it as Preminger's most beloved film, a detailed legal thriller that holds up, with excellent performances especially from Stewart and Scott, balanced by the jazz score and humor, despite some unease with the sexual politics.

The critic hails the film as a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed legal drama that deserves more attention alongside other Preminger and Stewart classics. Stewart's layered, subversive performance as the clever, morally ambiguous defense attorney is singled out for particular praise as the film's standout element.

The critic praises it as an excellent courtroom mystery, highlighting Jimmy Stewart's powerful performance and the jazzy score by Duke Ellington. They note it's straightforward but satisfying to watch top performers.