Hey there, Unicorns of all ages! I hope you’re happy, healthy, and got your skincare regimen in today.
In the realm of entertainment and cultural shifts, one of the most fascinating subjects to explore is the evolution of binge-watching. Long before the rise of streaming, we would spend hours glued to the TV, whether it was endlessly watching America’s Next Top Model (2003-2018) reruns or immersing ourselves in Law and Order (1990-) marathons on holiday weekends. It was during these Law and Order marathons that I developed a deep love for trial stories.
And what’s not to love? Trials naturally have high stakes. They’re dramatic by nature. The most fascinating episodes without cut-and-dry endings, where maybe someone got off on a technicality, was wrongfully convicted, or achieved a pyrrhic victory. It would always keep my brain turning long after the screen went black.
Which brings me to 2023’s French film Anatomy of a Fall (or Anatomie d’une Chute), a legal drama that has taken awards season by storm both in Europe and America. It won the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2023 and received five Academy Award nominations this year, ultimately winning for Original Screenplay. It’s rather rare for a non-American film to glean so many Oscar noms, so I was intrigued to see what it was all about. But why am I writing about it in this column? Read on to find out.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I should lay out a few important disclaimers. First and foremost, there will be SPOILERS within this review, so I suggest holding off on reading my take until you’ve seen the French drama for yourself. The film does come with a few content warnings I’d like to give a heads up about, including but not limited to suspected murder, cheating, verbal abuse, and abuse of an animal (though it makes a full recovery). If this is your first time visiting the Unicorn Scale (welcome!), you can find out all about our metric over here, and lastly, if you'd like to read our Media Entry on the film, go here.
All good? Okay, off we go:
Anatomy of a Fall centers on German novelist Sandra (Sandra Hüller), the mysterious death of her French husband, a teacher and aspiring writer named Sam (Samuel Theiss), and the legal and emotional fallout for Sandra and her young son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) as the justice system tries to figure out if she is to blame for his death. The film uses both the French and English languages throughout the course of the story and for important reasons and recurring themes.
What I Liked:
From the first scene, it is quickly established that the audience can suspect Sandra is bi. We enter on a scene of her getting interviewed about her books by an (adult) student for her thesis. The student is an attractive young woman, and the conversation and gazes quickly gain potentially flirtatious undertones — not enough to pin down, but on my first viewing, even my oblivious bi-fi picked up on the vibes. However, this conversation is interrupted by Sam playing music so loudly from upstairs that it becomes impossible to record their interview, and they are forced to postpone.
Later on during the trial, the prosecuting attorney confirms Sandra is bi, specifically using the term to describe her sexuality, which she is fine with.
But what’s important to me is that, while Sandra never denies being bi, and her affairs during her marriage figure into the whole picture of her perception in the trial, they are not the only important thing about her. In fact, Sandra is one of the most complicated and nuanced characters and performances I’ve seen for queer women on the big screen in a really long time.
Sandra is many things — a brilliant writer, funny at the right moments, a kind if (according to Sam) imperfect mother to her son, perceptive, incisive, and surprisingly empathetic (though her delivery can leave something to be desired). As the trial wears on, the prosecution often tries to portray her as callous and unforgiving of Sam for his part in the accident that permanently damaged Daniel’s sight. There are also moments where, at first blush, Sandra can seem morally gray or not as emotive as one would expect of someone who has just lost their purported soulmate. But Hüller puts in a brilliant, layered performance that, between her and the details of the script, sketches out a surprisingly realistic portrayal of a woman trying to revive a deteriorating relationship.
Even during a heated argument the day before Sam’s death, Sandra attempts to encourage Sam to continue writing but does not relent in giving up her schedule. She knows from experience Sam does not finish projects and is ultimately looking for someone to blame for his failures. Even in the middle of this emotional climax, she works to defuse the tension and tells Sam she loves him. It’s not just another explosive scene where two characters scream at each other, but instead, a slow burn that erupts when Sam’s sexist stubbornness refuses to yield.
What I Didn’t Like:
No, I’m not a fan of the way Sandra’s same-sex liaisons are the result of cheating, nor that she often tries to explain them away with excuses of post-trauma release or “good hygiene”. That doesn’t really help to get rid of the cheating bi stereotype we see repeated in modern media. But was it emphasized to the point of dismissal or caricature? No — Sandra’s queerness is just another facet of the diamond of her personality, which is examined with the precision of a jeweler throughout the film.
The Rating:
Although Sandra is ultimately acquitted, Anatomy leaves us with a lot of questions — whether she really did murder Sam (I don’t think so, but I can easily believe some interpretations of her committing the crime), what her relationship will be like with Daniel from here on out, being some of the first that pop to mind. I also wonder if she will end up with her defense attorney, Vincent (Swann Arlaud, who should get an award for best foppish salt-and-pepper hair), who is in love with her. And where her writing career will go from here (since she bases many of her novels on major events in her life).
Though Sandra does not fit neatly into a box of good bi or guilty bi, she ultimately comes across as a messy bi — but someone with whom we can empathize. Like the characters, my mind is still turning the case over and over in my mind long after the gavel falls. Anatomy of a Fall is stirring, closely observed, and ultimately a story that leave you wondering — but you might not mind the wondering.
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