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Anatomy of a Murder

Turkish title: Bir Cinayetin Tahlili

“Last year's No. 1 best-seller...This year's No. 1 motion picture.”

1959 · 2 h 41 min
Directed by Otto Preminger
DramaMystery

Cast

James Stewart Lee Remick Ben Gazzara Arthur O'Connell Eve Arden Kathryn Grant

Credits

Written by: Wendell Mayes

Plot

A small-town lawyer in Michigan, Paul Biegler, agrees to defend an army lieutenant who shot and killed a bar owner after the man allegedly raped his wife. The trial turns on whether the lieutenant was temporarily insane, and the hard, funny courtroom battle exposes how little the truth may count. Starring James Stewart, with a jazz score by Duke Ellington.

Sinekatalog’s take

A long, witty courtroom drama that treats an adult subject without moralising. James Stewart and George C. Scott are superb, and the film's refusal to give a clear answer is part of its power.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 8.0 / 10 (79,061 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.