Despite the somewhat familiarity of the story in Anatomy of a Fall, the French movie is not based on a true story. But while the characters are fictional, Triet expressed in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she drew inspiration from true crime stories.
Triet is also nominated for Best Director, becoming only the eighth female director nominated for the Best Director Oscar in history. The plot of Anatomy of a Fall may not have been derived from true events, but the essence of the film is still rooted in real-life cases.
In a Vulture interview, Jacqueline Hodgson, a law professor in England, broke down many aspects of the depicted courtroom drama. Anatomy of a Fall may not be based on a real story, but it excels in its authenticity, with very few inaccuracies.
Sandra is absolved and Anatomy of a Fall ends, and yet the main question still doesn't seem to have a clear answer. Not even actress Sandra Hüller knows for sure, although that wasn't an obstacle for her Oscar-nominated performance.
“I met Messi months before the shooting, several times,” says Graner. “We both practiced separately, and I have to say that he could simulate lethargy very well.” During a crucial scene, Snoop is catatonic, tongue lolling out in distress after being drugged.
But if you were to ask this writer, I'd say it's fairly obvious that Sandra did not murder her husband, and that Daniel – seeing that things were not looking great for his mother – lied in his testimony to help her suicide theory.
Is French court really like the Anatomy of a Fall?
French courtroom chaos in Anatomy of a Fall mirrors real-life intensity. Accuracy in French trial depiction adds authenticity to the film. French legal system nuances contribute to the unique drama of the movie.
A few years back, Anatomy of a Fall wouldn't even be eligible for a French submission. With that in mind, it's reasonable to conclude that France acknowledges the relevance of Anatomy of a Fall as a work of fiction, but is far from being the right movie to represent their country.
Above all, “Anatomy of a Fall” is a character study. The film follows a woman named Sandra, played by Sandra Hüller, as she is accused of her husband's murder. Her son, the aforementioned Daniel, suffered an accident when he was 4, leaving him partially blind.
The 2000 ft B67 TV Tower that Becky and Hunter climb is a real television tower. According to the director, the film was based on the KXTV/KOVR radio tower that is also known as the Sacramento Joint Venture Tower. It is a guyed communication tower in Walnut Grove, California.
While there isn't a specific Fall true story, the tower Becky and Hunter climb is real. When searching for the right location for their film, Fall's team came across the KXTV Tower in Walnut Grove, California.
There is a scene where Daniel deliberately poisons his dog with Aspirin, in order to find out if the dog might have ingested it during a previous suicide attempt by his dad. It's very important in the film.
Anatomy of a Fall ends not with Sandra alongside her son, but with their dog, Snoop. It's a moment that, aside from showcasing the unconditional love of a dog, highlights how alone Sandra still is. Her husband is dead, and while her son may have lied to protect her, there's still a great distance between them.
A novelist is accused of her husband's murder, and the only witness is their blind son in Justine Triet's Palme d'Or-winning film, Anatomy of a Fall. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: The courtroom drama "Anatomy Of A Fall," about a woman accused of her husband's murder, won this year's top award at the Cannes Film Festival.
And similar to the 1959 movie, “Anatomy of a Fall” does come to a conclusion, in a way, at least in the courtroom. A verdict is delivered. The Palme d'Or winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the film ends with the character of Sandra (Sandra Hüller) being acquitted for the murder of her husband.
In September, the French National Film Center ruled her out as the country's representative for the Oscars, triggering general incomprehension (there was even talk of a political vendetta), which explains that Anatomy of a Fall is listed as an Oscar nominee in several categories, but not for best international film.
The beauty of Anatomy of a Fall is that by the end we, the audience, don't know conclusively whether Sandra (Sandra Hüller – who is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar) killed Samuel (Samuel Theis) or not. Triet wouldn't tell Huller on set whether she thought Sandra was guilty or innocent either.
We don't know, and that's the point. Much like the jury in the courtroom, the audience will never know for sure whether Sandra did or did not kill Samuel. This purposefully ambiguous ending puts viewers in the position of both Daniel and the jury: We have to decide on what we believe.
According to US distributor Neon, 59% of Anatomy of a Fall is spoken in French, therefore making it eligible. France's Oscar committee choice, The Taste of Things, contains 100% of French dialogue.
What does the dog represent in the Anatomy of a Fall?
To me, the dog snuggling up to her at the end represents forgiveness, whether she did it or not, dogs are unconditionally loyal regardless of life circumstances. Proving a point to the man who died, whether by murder or suicide or a slip and fall, that he was wrong in his worldview...
Was Vincent in love with Sandra in Anatomy of a Fall?
Similarly, she told Arlaud that Vincent was previously in love with Sandra, which forced the actor to balance his character's past feelings with his role as her lawyer. Triet said this was helpful because actors want to “defend their part.”
We also see a group of people trying to recreate Samuel's fall using a life-sized dummy. They talk about why the blood spatter landed the way it did. We're told that Daniel was hit by a motorcycle when he was only 4 years old. The accident not only resulted in broken bones but damaged his optic nerves, too.
In the film, Sandra Hüller's novelist Sandra is accused of murdering her husband by pushing him off a balcony. Their son Daniel (Milo Macado-Graner) engages in an experiment that might help exonerate his mother — but it means purposely poisoning Snoop.
