Written and directed by Justine Triet, co-written by Arthur Harari, a woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaïeb and Camille Rutherford.
In today’s world, a lot of people struggle with the idea of not getting definitive answers, and if you’re one of those people, Anatomy of a Fall probably isn’t for you. If you’re someone who can appreciate the uncertainty, then you’ll likely revel in how Justine Triet fills this film with a constant air of suspicion and untrustworthiness. The atmosphere of constant questioning and how it plays the long game of doubt and logic, is fascinating to watch unfold. Especially when it’s placed between the claustrophobia of the courtroom and isolation yet beauty of their snowbound home.
Triet’s directorial style evolves and adapts as the film moves through different locations, in the moments of their home life and of Samuel’s (Samuel Theis) death, it can be more still and sharp. Then when it enters the court, it can become almost reality styled, with curious and questioning movement to the camera, reacting to each new enquiry. That variety cleverly feeds into that thick air of doubt and uncertainty, it does remain for the most part in Sandra’s (Sandra Hüller) camp but it’s forever leaving the door open for you to be suspicious of her.
A big part of that back and forth of guilty and not guilty is the performance from Sandra Hüller, as she walks that line so perfectly. The presentation of her character is impressively consistent throughout Anatomy of a Fall but there are frequent inflections or small shifts that open up darker possibilities. With those minor changes she can move her character to being anywhere from sympathetic to sinister, while holding onto a wonderful subtlety. She captures an unusual intensity, it’s not classically dramatic but slowly burning and encroaching.
Undoubtedly, most of the focus lies with Hüller but there’s also plenty of space for Sandra’s son Daniel, played by Milo Machado Graner. He gives a remarkable performance for such a young actor, it’s heavy with emotion and he has to embody so many of the film’s moral and ethical questions. Graner communicates the weight of that, having Daniel slowly fall apart but he’s also hitting upon similar qualities as Hüller, nudging that questioning quality in the back of your mind. Antoine Reinartz is fantastically aggressive and unrelenting as the prosecutor, his forceful nature makes you actively dislike him and pushes you further into Sandra’s corner.
Anatomy of a Fall is an enticing game of doubt, testing its viewers with unravelling details while never handing you the answers. It’s absolutely packed with suspicion, which is in no small part thanks to the excellent and enthralling performance from Sandra Hüller. Justine Triet asks the audience to interpret and unpack her story as the layers unfold, seeing it through different perspectives, leading you into a maze of memories and mistrust.
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