If someone had told me that "Anatomie d'une chute" would make me add 50 Cent's "P. I. M. P." to my playlist, I probably wouldn't have known how to react. It was unexpected to see the presence of the theme in a French legal drama, and even more surprising was its prominence in addressing some of the film's central themes. But despite appearances, "Anatomie d'une chute" is anything but a typical dull legal drama.
I admit that your experience with this film may vary depending on your level of engagement with the work, as your experience will be greatly affected by how much this film can draw you into its world, its characters, and their nuances. At its core is a mysterious death.
There are various ways to approach this story. It could have been an investigative thriller in the style of David Fincher, but it's not. Justine Triet knows exactly what she wants to extract from it. She is more interested in showing it through the eyes of the people involved and does an astonishing job in this regard. Rather than the quest for the truth, the script is more concerned with how people react to the bits of information they come across. It also aims to demonstrate the complexity of human relationships and the path that leads to certain decisions in the lives of couples that can never be fully understood by an external audience filled with prejudices and snap judgments. The media attention surrounding the trial that occupies almost the entirety of the last two acts of this film demonstrates that the truth is not always the most important aspect. It also shows that the judgment of a specific moment or action is less significant for the audience than a character judgment that is always waiting to be passed.
The way this is all filmed surprised me greatly. Triet doesn't seek a classical and comfortable approach. The blocking is phenomenal, making us feel almost like intruders. The camera's movements are also unstable, approaching the emotionally unstable characters. It's a mastery that few possess, not because few know how to do it technically, but because few can do it so effectively, eliciting the emotional response desired from the audience. For instance, there's a scene in which a third party speaks about the deceased. The camera first focuses on Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), the son, who is visibly uncomfortable but tries to hide it. Then it shifts to Sandra (Sandra Hüller), and we can see the same discomfort in her as she tries to make eye contact with her son. It moved me and brought tears to my eyes. The foreground here wasn't the dialogue but how it was affecting these people.
What Milo Machado Graner, one of the most impressive performances by a young actor, and especially Sandra Hüller do in this film is sensational. Hüller brings an impressive array of expressive tools that always work according to the moment when they are put into action. When she tries to seduce, when she fights, when she opens up, when she closes off, when she feels invincible, when she feels vulnerable. Her micro-expressions and body language convey everything she has to say, and I must say that I consider this performance among the best I've ever seen. It's spine-chilling.
With this, I'm afraid I might be doing a disservice to the supporting actors, which would be unfair because they all deliver outstanding performances. In addition to the previously mentioned young actor, Swann Arlaud plays the eloquent defense lawyer and friend who becomes increasingly close to Sandra. Antoine Reinartz portrays a powerful prosecutor with a speech as intense as it is well-crafted. Samuel Theis shines in an incredible scene from the past. And speaking of that scene... what an immense kitchen argument, so well-crafted, packed with information, filled with conflicting emotions, repressed feelings, and expertly edited to the point where all you can do is open your mouth in admiration of such a work of art. After all, this film is about several falls, and no scene could better exemplify the most significant fall than that one.
Although this is not the easiest film to watch, demanding a lot from the viewer, especially until the end of the first act, the way everything unfolds, the development of its script, and the paths and destinations of its thematic approach are absolutely fascinating. It is one of the most realistically human films in its approach to unknown facts. It doesn't aim for flashy cinematic spectacle, but it provides plenty to engage your gray matter every time you think about it.
What happens inside each home is truly known only to those who live there. The truths. The half-truths. "Anatomie d'une chute" is a magnificent realistic exercise in the search for a truth that isn't always attainable, forcing everyone else to navigate in an uncertain but necessary zone of conscious decision-making. Sandra Hüller delivers one of the best performances in history. Period. Chilling.
I admit that your experience with this film may vary depending on your level of engagement with the work, as your experience will be greatly affected by how much this film can draw you into its world, its characters, and their nuances. At its core is a mysterious death.
There are various ways to approach this story. It could have been an investigative thriller in the style of David Fincher, but it's not. Justine Triet knows exactly what she wants to extract from it. She is more interested in showing it through the eyes of the people involved and does an astonishing job in this regard. Rather than the quest for the truth, the script is more concerned with how people react to the bits of information they come across. It also aims to demonstrate the complexity of human relationships and the path that leads to certain decisions in the lives of couples that can never be fully understood by an external audience filled with prejudices and snap judgments. The media attention surrounding the trial that occupies almost the entirety of the last two acts of this film demonstrates that the truth is not always the most important aspect. It also shows that the judgment of a specific moment or action is less significant for the audience than a character judgment that is always waiting to be passed.
The way this is all filmed surprised me greatly. Triet doesn't seek a classical and comfortable approach. The blocking is phenomenal, making us feel almost like intruders. The camera's movements are also unstable, approaching the emotionally unstable characters. It's a mastery that few possess, not because few know how to do it technically, but because few can do it so effectively, eliciting the emotional response desired from the audience. For instance, there's a scene in which a third party speaks about the deceased. The camera first focuses on Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), the son, who is visibly uncomfortable but tries to hide it. Then it shifts to Sandra (Sandra Hüller), and we can see the same discomfort in her as she tries to make eye contact with her son. It moved me and brought tears to my eyes. The foreground here wasn't the dialogue but how it was affecting these people.
What Milo Machado Graner, one of the most impressive performances by a young actor, and especially Sandra Hüller do in this film is sensational. Hüller brings an impressive array of expressive tools that always work according to the moment when they are put into action. When she tries to seduce, when she fights, when she opens up, when she closes off, when she feels invincible, when she feels vulnerable. Her micro-expressions and body language convey everything she has to say, and I must say that I consider this performance among the best I've ever seen. It's spine-chilling.
With this, I'm afraid I might be doing a disservice to the supporting actors, which would be unfair because they all deliver outstanding performances. In addition to the previously mentioned young actor, Swann Arlaud plays the eloquent defense lawyer and friend who becomes increasingly close to Sandra. Antoine Reinartz portrays a powerful prosecutor with a speech as intense as it is well-crafted. Samuel Theis shines in an incredible scene from the past. And speaking of that scene... what an immense kitchen argument, so well-crafted, packed with information, filled with conflicting emotions, repressed feelings, and expertly edited to the point where all you can do is open your mouth in admiration of such a work of art. After all, this film is about several falls, and no scene could better exemplify the most significant fall than that one.
Although this is not the easiest film to watch, demanding a lot from the viewer, especially until the end of the first act, the way everything unfolds, the development of its script, and the paths and destinations of its thematic approach are absolutely fascinating. It is one of the most realistically human films in its approach to unknown facts. It doesn't aim for flashy cinematic spectacle, but it provides plenty to engage your gray matter every time you think about it.
What happens inside each home is truly known only to those who live there. The truths. The half-truths. "Anatomie d'une chute" is a magnificent realistic exercise in the search for a truth that isn't always attainable, forcing everyone else to navigate in an uncertain but necessary zone of conscious decision-making. Sandra Hüller delivers one of the best performances in history. Period. Chilling.
