Why Anatomy of a Fall is the biggest movie this fall

The French legal drama Anatomy of a Fall, winner of the Palme d'Or, was released in Russian cinemas. In France, the film was watched by more than a million people - this is the best box office result for Cannes winners in 15 years.

The story centers on a successful writer, Sandra, whose husband died after falling from the window of an Alpine chalet. It is unknown whether he did it himself or had help - their 11-year-old son Daniel allegedly heard a family dispute before his father's death and has vague ideas about what happened. As a result, suspicions fall on the writer. The main events of the film will take place within the walls of the court, where the fate of the heroine will be decided.

Behind the cover of a detective story lies a strong family drama.

Based on the description, one can easily come to the conclusion that Justine Trieu’s film is a detective story, but this is where the main deception lies. In this story there will be neither a second Hercule Poirot nor the swing of suspicion typical of the genre, when the viewer either wants to accuse the heroine of murder or is inclined to believe in the accidental death of her husband. It is more appropriate to compare the movie with “

Marriage story": there the marriage was studied in a psychologist's office, but here intra-family conflicts reach the court.

An initially high-profile court case turns into a complex, naked conversation about feelings. During the meeting, Sandra tries not so much to get through to the truth as to share her difficult feelings. The last years have not been easy for her - life in an Alpine chalet with her husband made her tired and irritated.

Justine Trieu is a regular guest at the Cannes Film Festival

Every work of Trieu is a reason to go to the big screen. All of the director’s full-length films were selected for the Cannes Film Festival: first she participated in the rarest ACID program with the film “Age of Panic”, then there was “Temptation”, presented mainly competition

In its narrative format, “Anatomy of a Fall” is reminiscent of her work “In Bed with Victoria.” In it, the heroine simultaneously works on two matters: defending her honor and the honor of her friend, who is accused of domestic violence. The problem is that men in court devalue a woman’s words and do not take her seriously. “Anatomy” picks up the same motifs, only this time the main character ends up in the dock.

Every dialogue in Anatomy of a Fall is carefully thought out.

The sudden death of her husband changed the writer’s life forever, and the trial could have led to emotional distress. But Justine Trieu opts for the language of dry facts. The entire plot of the film is based on dialogues: Trieu thought through every line, created a clear composition and came up with an interesting concept where music is practically not used. If she appears, she becomes a guide to the personal secrets of the married couple.

What matters here is not so much the outcome as the process itself.

The lack of evidence and witnesses encourages viewers to dive deep into the life of this family. But the main question of the film is not to find out who is guilty in these circumstances, but to understand what led to this. As a result, the verdict in court does not play such a role as the previously voiced problems associated with disagreements between the sexes and the marriage.

Trieu does not rely on intrigue, but rather explores the theme of relationships through the prism of the court. Not only the spoken words are important, but also the feelings with which the main character, played by Sandra Hüller, pronounces her speech. She delicately depicts an unstable emotional state. In addition, she plays in three languages ​​at once: German, English and French.

Festival cinema taught We literally can't watch movies. So Justine Trieu cunningly hides a psychotherapy session behind the trial. Trieu goes against typical legal dramas, where the trial often resembles an attraction. Emotions here arise not on the screen, but inside the audience, because in many scenes from family life they can recognize themselves.

The crisis of marriage and the institution of family are eternal themes, so Trieu does not show anything new, but masterfully helps to see the only important thing - the tragedy of the main character and her family. Through it, the viewer is able to look at himself from the outside, to realize the complexity of a long-term relationship, where both participants can be to blame for the difficulties that arise.