Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

“…all we can do is decide.”

Is this a story about a woman who murders her husband, or is this a story about a woman who is falsely accused? This question is central to Anatomy of a Fall, a question that the actors & writer-director Justine Triet all refuse to answer. “You have to tell them, exactly like you remember it” Sandra (played by the stunning Sandra Hüller) tells her son, even though she herself struggles to meet this standard. When an entire life’s worth of decisions are scrutinized, the so-called truth becomes impossible to understand.

The fight scene between the couple at the center of this conflict is a masterclass in writing & acting. It’s extra painful to witness once you know the context that follows. Every sigh, every curse word, every sentence is placed under a microscope, but these characters cannot know the future. How much insight does their fight really offer? Samuel (played by scene stealer Samuel Theis) & Sandra talk past each other in the most frustrating ways; their love for each other keeps them locked in a dynamic where they can no longer see the other’s pain. This is the crux of this story: how can you ascribe intention to otherwise random events? How do you pick and choose which moments are ‘important’ and which are not?

One of the best elements in this film, which is full of incredible subtleties, is how the camera reminds you that this story is viewable through different lenses. At times the camera will shift & pan, suggesting that someone is controlling what you do & don’t see. Because this story is structured around a trial, it treats the audience as if they are in the courtroom, we peer at Sandra through a sea of people. It feels like a documentary about the trial of Sandra Voyter, because every character is fleshed out. Thanks to Triet’s writing and directing, all their quirks & pettines, all their moments of coldness or kindness punch through, which makes all their conflicting points of view deeply relatable.