Monday, January 29, 2024

2024 OSCARS: Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - How a Supporting Character Shapes Our Opinions

[Quick Summary: After her husband falls to his death in France, his  wife is on trial, and their sight-impaired son is the main witness.]

Did Sandra hit her husband?  Or did her depressed husband commit suicide?

Though I did not know for sure, I found myself having decided opinions, and was impressed how this script played with those assumptions. 

One of the characters that shaped my view of Sandra was her defense attorney.  

I found him believable, and not flat, i.e., he didn't exist just to make a point about Sandra.  It was clear he had a life of his own outside this case.

Their conversations dropped hints about their previous relationship (more assumptions!). I had to re-think again when he started asking questions.

I changed my mind yet again after he argued her position in court. 

The last line below hit home because it was a subconscious belief that I had not realized I was carrying: 

VINCENT (on his way) Embarked on a headlong rush, he only postpones the moment of realizing that transcribing is not writing: Paul Nachez's silence has enlightened him all too cruelly on this truth. The energy we hear in the argument of November 23 is that of despair, a desire that insists before giving up. What marked the last months of this man's life was not a war in his relationship, it was the realization of a personal bankruptcy, one failure too many. If Sandra Voyter is guilty of anything, it is that she succeeded where her husband failed. (bolded emphasis mine)

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  I liked that this supporting character brought out something (both literally in this dialogue, but also in their interactions) about the main character, which she alone could not do.  

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
by Justine Triet & Arthur Harari

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