Movies Better Than Sex

Anatomy of a Murder, Otto Preminger, 1959, US  Starring James Stewart, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick, Eve Arden, Arthur O'Connell, George C Scott. 160 min. b/w One of Preminger's most compelling and perfectly realised films (with a terrific Duke Ellington score). A long, detailed account of the efforts of a small town lawyer (Stewart) to defend an army sergeant (Gazzara) accused of murdering the bartender who, it is claimed, raped his wife (Remick), it's remarkable for the cool, crystal clear direction, concentrating on the mechanical processes and professional performances guiding the trial, and for the superb acting. Chilling, ironic and sceptical, it is far less confident in the law than most courtroom dramas, which makes one suspect that it was this probing cynicism rather than the 'daring' use of words that caused controversy at the time of release.  The screenplay by Wendell Mayes was based on the 1958 novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme C...