Anatomy of a Murder

Starring:James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott, Orson Bean, Russ Brown, Murray Hamilton, Brooks West, Ken Lynch, John Qualen, Howard McNear, Alexander Campbell, Ned Wever, Jimmy Conlin, Royal Beal, Joseph Kearns, Don Ross
Director: Otto Preminger
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Otto Preminger turned this 1959 courtroom drama, based on the popular novel, into terrific adult drama. James Stewart stars as a small-town lawyer who defends an army officer (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a bartender who assaulted his wife (Lee Remick). The taut script, large performance by Stewart, and then-daring elements of the story (words like "panties" are spoken in the context of discussing a sex crime) give the action a certain immediacy--which you don't find very often in today's movies about jurisprudence. Nice work by Remick and Gazzara, as well as George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell, and real-life judge Joseph N. Welch, who plays the judge in this film. A very good experience all around. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-06-25

Preminger's crackling courtroom drama makes for a twisty, racy, irresistible film. Stewart is in his element as the dogged Biegler, but junior players Gazzara, Remick and Scott are every bit as good. Gritty atmosphere and a smoky Ellington score (with Duke himself in a rare on-screen appearance) help make this daring, distinctive picture hum.

Superior! .......2007-03-28

"Anatomy of a Murder" is a solid courtroom drama set in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Shot in stark black and white, AM has an ominous aura from the opening scene. Ben Gazzara is an Army lieutenant who kills the bar owner who supposedly raped his wife (Lee Remick). There is no question who committed the murder, only if the act was defensible. Also in doubt is who is telling the complete truth, who deserves sympathy-or punishment- or even if an actual rape occurred. How consensual was Remick? That Remick is neither the most sympathetic of victims nor Remick/Gazzara the most upstanding couple add to the mystery. The pair is not to be confused with Ozzie and Harriet! Jimmy Stewart is the small town lawyer who agrees to defend Gazzara. JS bases his case on the slippery premise of temporary insanity. AM soon enough turns into a duel between Jimmy and hot shot mouthpiece George C. Scott-brought up from the "big town" of Lansing to prosecute BG. The in court duel between the lawyers is as good as will be found on any silver screen, as is the out of court scramble to produce witnesses and gather evidence. Listen to the infections in Stewart's voice! This reviewer was initially leery of the 160 minute run time, but length is not an issue here. Viewer interest is certain to be maintained. (According to an old "Variety" review, Director/Producer Otto Preminger insisted on releasing AM quickly, leaving no time to edit or cut). The supporting cast is outstanding, notably Arthur O'Connell and Eve Arden playing Stewart's assistants. AM received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Stewart), Best Supporting Actor (Scott and O'Connell) and Best Adapted Screenplay- all to no avail. 1959 was the year of "Ben Hur". Tom O'Neil's "Movie Awards" states "the Oscar runways were greased for "Ben Hur". Cynics will love AM. Guilt or innocence is highly subjective here. The final scene with Stewart and O'Connell in the trailer camp where Remick and Gazarra lived is a gem. It captures the ambiguity of AM perfectly. On a final note, the black and white format is a huge part of the movie. "Anatomy of a Murder" is one more example of why old b&w movies should never be colorized.

Top courtroom film.......2007-03-11

This film is one of the best of its kind. Excellent courtroom and small town drama. Both the cast and the directing could not be better. The characters are vey well developed and the add to the rising of the drama. I would not want to single out a perfomance from any of the actors as all of them act in manner that compliments each others perfomance.
The topic of this film is controversial, if the woman was raped or not, and the director "plays" with it so to keep the viewer even more interested.
Five star film.

Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated.......2007-02-11

This is a great, great, classic American film, in the truest Hollywood sense, a stand up film that holds up generations later. Combining excellence from all aspects of the production, it's relevence as a story-both in sheer fundamental formalism and subjective psychological, legal realism-emphasizes it's essential artistry.
The appeal of a show like Law & Order lies in it's unification of the formula and the particular circumstances of that week, impelling our complex society as a mirror unto itself, and a film like Anatomy of a Murder succeeds in this and by drawing itself in shades of gray under cloudy skies against the rigors of law.
James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Joseph N. Welch are great here. Great performances that propell the murder trial of an Army Lieutenant who killed a bar owner who the Lieutenant's wife (Remick) says raped and beat her. That's all I feel is necessary to say about the plot. See this for it's technical and envigorating fleshing out of the tale, executed beautifully.
I knew in the first eight minutes that this was a classic, (the legendary Saul Bass' title sequence almost guaranteed it.) Whether the performances, the cinematography, the amazing score by Duke Ellington (who makes a cameo as a band leader, Pie Eye), the crisp courtroom dialogue, in particular between Stewart and Scott, or Remick's ambiguous tramp/femme fatale....
A note of note: Joseph N. Welch, who is terrific as the out-of-town judge, was the lawyer for the Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954, particularly famous for rebuking Senator McCarthy; "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
Five years after that, what with the maniacal onus of Otto Preminger, a film like this illuminated the significance of law, as the site where the infintely complicated lives of individuals are wrung through the system we've established to buffer ourselves as we progress into the abyss.

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-01-21

Great Black and White movie. A very provacative movie for that time.
Filmed my the town where I grew up. It was a home town visit seeing all of the landmarks and familiar sites.

Gladiator Days - Anatomy of a Prison Murder

Average customer rating:

Reveals another injustice
Powerful!
not that shocking
A cautionary 4 stars though
Sickening

Gladiator Days - Anatomy of a Prison Murder
Director: Marc Levin
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Scared Straight!
The Iceman - Confessions of a Mafia Hitman
The Iceman Interviews
Doing Time - Life Inside the Big House
Criminals

ASIN: B00006SFKG
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Description

Across the United States, violent crime in prison is an everyday reality, with inmates routinely exposed to assault, riot, rape and murder. Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a Prison Murder examines the culture of institutional violence through the events that led to one burtal prison murder. Utah State Prison surveillance cameras capture this disturbing real-life account of the vicious stabbing of black inmate Lonnie Blackmon by convicted murderer, white supremacist Troy Kell and his accomplice Eric Daniels.

Customer Reviews:

Reveals another injustice.......2007-05-22

I first saw this compelling, often gruesome and very enlightening documentary on HBO. I have realized that in these maximum security men's prisons, most of the inmates either have to gang up for survival or they become the prey. If they are in fear of their lives, they either have to deal with it themselves or go to guards and wardens and risk being labeled as a "snitch" and killed for that. This documentary also first revealed to me facts that indicated Sandy Shaw, Kell's childhood friend, was railroaded into prison even though all he was supposed to do was fistfight a guy who was stalking her when she was a terrified 15-year-old, with no stalking law to protect her. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Kell brought a gun to that supposed harmless fistfight and shot and killed the adult stalker who was pursuing a minor child. In his effort to help her, Kell made his friend Sandy Shaw his second victim. Getting into the mind of a killer who grew up with a decent life and then snapped makes for fascinating viewing.

Powerful!.......2007-04-18

As a part-time criminal justice instructor, I make this DVD required viewing. As someone interested in the subject matter I think it addresses a variety of issues: racial issues, delinquency, juvenile housing, gang violence, lockup procedures,and criminality in general. I think it also addresses some of the stereotypes concerning criminals and criminal behavior. Troy Kell is the perfect example of someone who came from a decent family, educated and had all the tools for success, and yet ended up on death row (1st killing a guy over some foolishness and then committing a murder while in prison). I think even to the average person, they would find Kell charasmatic, charming (oops, that is the same thing), with no regrets or excuses. Bravado or not we will never know, but Kell is definately someone to be studied for years to come.

not that shocking.......2006-06-12

To be honest, I really don't see why people say this is that shocking. Perhaps I'm a little desensitized, but the attack is shown from quite a distance away. Overall, I liked the documentary. I thought it was interesting and very well done.

A cautionary 4 stars though.......2006-05-09

This is an excellent documentary, but it is brutally honest. The video of the actual attack is so shocking as to be almost unwatchable, yet you have to watch once.

Almost as brutal is the effect that the prison system has on these people.

Sickening.......2006-04-07

After seeing this film, I am pretty amazed they have been able to put what they did on to a dvd. I actually felt sickened by the images I saw and had to turn it off many times. Yes its an interesting documentary but can you imagine how the victims family felt knowing the images of their loved one being violently stabbed were being shown to people? Personally, I think you've got to have a strong stomach to watch it.

Investigative Reports - JonBenet: Anatomy of an Investigation

Average customer rating:

Investigative Reports - JonBenet: Anatomy of an Investigation
Starring: JonBenet Ramsey
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
Inside Story - Baby Beauty Queens
JonBenet
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town : The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Final Truth
The Death of Innocence : The Untold Story of JonBenet's Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth

ASIN: B000F6ZBRG
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Average customer rating:

Anatomy of a Psycho
Starring: Ronnie Burns , Don Devlin , Michael Granger , Darrell Howe , and Pamela Lincoln
Director: Brooke Peters
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FVQLXY
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Average customer rating:

Anatomy of a Murder
Superior!
Top courtroom film
Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated
Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder [Region 2]
Starring: James Stewart , Lee Remick , Ben Gazzara , Arthur O'Connell , and Eve Arden
Director: Otto Preminger
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Witness For the Prosecution
12 Angry Men
Inherit the Wind
The Verdict (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Call Northside 777 (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00005AVWB

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-06-25

Superior! .......2007-03-28

Top courtroom film.......2007-03-11

Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated.......2007-02-11

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-01-21

Great Black and White movie. A very provacative movie for that time.
Filmed my the town where I grew up. It was a home town visit seeing all of the landmarks and familiar sites.

Average customer rating:

Anatomy Of A Psycho
Starring: Ronnie Burns; Pamela Lincoln; Darrell Howe; Russ Bender
Director: Brooke L. Peters
Manufacturer: Reel Enterprises
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

amazon.com

The execution of a convicted killer drives his brother Chet (Darrel Howe) to embark on a murderous campaign against those who helped send his brother to the gas chamber. After almost beating to death the son of the district attorney and setting fire to the judge's house, Chet learns that his sister's boyfriend was the primary witness whose testimony led to the death penalty conviction. Chet also blames the boy friend for the accidental death of one of his friends, and sets into motion his final murderous act of revenge.

Average customer rating:

Anatomy of a Murder
Superior!
Top courtroom film
Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated
Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder [Region 2]
Starring: James Stewart , Lee Remick , Ben Gazzara , Arthur O'Connell , and Eve Arden
Director: Otto Preminger
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Witness For the Prosecution
12 Angry Men
Inherit the Wind
The Verdict (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Call Northside 777 (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00005LO7M

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-06-25

Superior! .......2007-03-28

Top courtroom film.......2007-03-11

Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated.......2007-02-11

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-01-21

Great Black and White movie. A very provacative movie for that time.
Filmed my the town where I grew up. It was a home town visit seeing all of the landmarks and familiar sites.

Average customer rating:

Anatomy of a Murder
Superior!
Top courtroom film
Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated
Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder [Region 2]
Starring: James Stewart , Lee Remick , Ben Gazzara , Arthur O'Connell , and Eve Arden
Director: Otto Preminger
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Witness For the Prosecution
12 Angry Men
Inherit the Wind
The Verdict (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Call Northside 777 (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00005M0S6

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-06-25

Superior! .......2007-03-28

Top courtroom film.......2007-03-11

Welcome to the Law, appearing nightly in Amiguity, Shaded while Illuminated.......2007-02-11

Anatomy of a Murder.......2007-01-21

Great Black and White movie. A very provacative movie for that time.
Filmed my the town where I grew up. It was a home town visit seeing all of the landmarks and familiar sites.

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