Anatomy of a Murder Legal Analysis - Aakriti Gera
Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American court drama directed by Otto Preminger. The plot follows a lawyer who takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who is accused of murdering the local innkeeper after his wife claimed that the innkeeper had raped her. The movie is extremely complex and in certain ways is a social documentation of the time the movie was made and released in.
The movie deals with a few legal and ethical issues from start to end. One of the things I noticed in the viewing was how close the defense attorney was to crossing some ethical lines. For example, during the consultation with the client he immediately jumps to the conclusion that the only way out is by creating a defense …show more content…
The lawyer clearly tells the accused that the jury would be more sympathetic to an innocent housewife, rather than a “flirtatious” woman. This is one fact, which has barely changed since the time the movie was released. People clearly fail to understand how that rape or sexual assault is never because of woman. Laura is continuously treated as an object of a sexual commodity even in the courtroom. In a scene, Biegler asks Laura to let her hair down and even remove her glasses so that the jury sees her in a different light and not an object. She is asked to be quiet. Her body and personal life are discussed publicly and no asks her how she feel about the matter being discussed. She is treated like an object or evidence, which is to be used to resolve the case.
The Anatomy of a Murder brings to light the bridge between observation and interpretation of cases and people. The film nicely talks about the American legal system in the procedural way. The movie raises questions regarding the sanctity of the lawyer-client relationship, and what practices are ethical while practicing law. The biggest takeaway from this film is the need for consent, any consent. Assault against women should not be ignored, but rather they should be dealt with sternly. As relevant as that movie was years ago, it still holds a lot substance and meaning until
Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American court drama directed by Otto Preminger. The plot follows a lawyer who takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who is accused of murdering the local innkeeper after his wife claimed that the innkeeper had raped her. The movie is extremely complex and in certain ways is a social documentation of the time the movie was made and released in.
The movie deals with a few legal and ethical issues from start to end. One of the things I noticed in the viewing was how close the defense attorney was to crossing some ethical lines. For example, during the consultation with the client he immediately jumps to the conclusion that the only way out is by creating a defense …show more content…
The lawyer clearly tells the accused that the jury would be more sympathetic to an innocent housewife, rather than a “flirtatious” woman. This is one fact, which has barely changed since the time the movie was released. People clearly fail to understand how that rape or sexual assault is never because of woman. Laura is continuously treated as an object of a sexual commodity even in the courtroom. In a scene, Biegler asks Laura to let her hair down and even remove her glasses so that the jury sees her in a different light and not an object. She is asked to be quiet. Her body and personal life are discussed publicly and no asks her how she feel about the matter being discussed. She is treated like an object or evidence, which is to be used to resolve the case.
The Anatomy of a Murder brings to light the bridge between observation and interpretation of cases and people. The film nicely talks about the American legal system in the procedural way. The movie raises questions regarding the sanctity of the lawyer-client relationship, and what practices are ethical while practicing law. The biggest takeaway from this film is the need for consent, any consent. Assault against women should not be ignored, but rather they should be dealt with sternly. As relevant as that movie was years ago, it still holds a lot substance and meaning until