Anatomy of a Fall relates to today's society because we are surrounded by uncertainty. With so much happening in our everyday lives, this film portrays the insecurity festering under the surface of our outward image.
The Oscar-nominated Anatomy of a Fall (competing Sunday for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Actress for Sandra Hüller) follows a murder trial, determining whether Sandra Voyter (Hüller) murdered her husband, who fell to his death from a high window at the family's ski ...
However, probably the strongest theory is that Samuel killed himself, whether it was to frame his wife (to take revenge against her) or because he was deeply depressed and unhappy with his life.
Why does Daniel poison the dog in Anatomy of a Fall?
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.
During a crucial scene, Snoop is catatonic, tongue lolling out in distress after being drugged. Contini noticed his tongue looking that way after a vigorous play session with his beloved ball and immediately knew it would be perfect for that scene.
Behind the Scene: How the Dog from 'Anatomy of a Fall' Learned to Play Dead on Screen
Did the son lie in Anatomy of a Fall?
Anatomy of a Fall's ending, analysed
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.
Daniel is partially blind, and much of the film is shown from his perspective. Like his learning of the piano, he has had to develop a keen sense of hearing, called into question by his own changing testimony and belief in his mother's innocence.
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.
At the end of Anatomy of a Fall, Sandra is acquitted, although the facts of the case still aren't entirely clear, making the true cause of Samuel's death ambiguous.
Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet's Palme d'Or-winning courtroom drama, is arguably the best film of the year. It definitely has the most fascinating performance. Sandra Hüller plays a successful writer married to an unsuccessful writer. They have a son who lost his vision after an accident (the husband was at fault).
Parents need to know that Anatomy of a Fall is a superb French courtroom drama with adult themes, references to suicide, occasional strong language, and some violence. Following the death of her husband in suspicious circumstances, Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) becomes the prime suspect and her young son,…
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.
The characters feel human, which is what truly shapes this film. It showcases the range of emotions and relationships we have in our lives, and the ways that love can blind us. “Anatomy of a Fall” is a movie I can see myself watching again and again, just to catch the carefully crafted details I might've missed.
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...
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.
When they return home, Daniel finds Samuel dead from an apparent fall. Sandra insists that the fall must have been accidental. Her old friend and lawyer, Vincent, suggests the possibility of suicide, while Sandra recalls her husband's attempt to overdose on aspirin six months earlier, after going off antidepressants.
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.
Why did he give the dog aspirin Anatomy of a Fall?
We're told that Samuel went on antidepressants after Daniel was hurt in an accident as a young boy. Sandra recounts a story of Samuel getting falling-down drunk and then vomiting up what looked like a lot of small white pills. Daniel later tries to recreate that incident by feeding his dog a handful of aspirin.
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.”
For Snoop's most dramatic scene, Messi had to act sick — and a lot of hard work and training went into it. He had to learn how to lay down and let his tongue hang out as if he were ill, which wasn't easy.
What happened to Daniel's eyes in Anatomy of a Fall?
She admits that their relationship showed signs of stress when young son Daniel lost most of his sight in an accident, an accident Samuel blamed on himself and Sandra did not disabuse him of this notion.
