Reviewed by Sunchica Unevska
Toward: Anatomy of a Fall, director: Justine Triet, writers: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, cast: Sandra Huller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, editing: Laurent Senechal, photography: Simon Beaufils, France 2023
The secrets of which we are afraid ourselves
Just in time for this year's Cannes Film Festival, we're going to look back at last year's winner “Anatomy of a Fall”, partly because this film turned into a real phenomenon, but not because of the numerous awards and nominations it won, nor because of the excellent ratings of criticism, and not because of the genre and the story. Namely, at first glance it’s not a film that brings something new, on the one hand, it can be said that it’s a classic thriller, that it has a classic narrative, and on the other hand, there is no original story, but a theme that has been seen many times. Well, nevertheless, "Anatomy of a Fall" has caused an incredible amount of attention, theories, debates and critical reviews which (often unsuccessfully and very indirectly, not to say ill-defined) try to penetrate and capture its essence. Because, after all, this realization of Justin Triet is still far from ordinary, and even further from any mold, genre or narrative, into which it could fit.
Seemingly, in it many things are clear from the beginning, so that later, as the story develops you realize that this is not about who was killed and why, whose fault is it and who is the victim... No, it is a film that makes such a vivisection of a marriage, of the relationships in it, of the characters and the behavior in some completely unexpected, atypical situations, that it takes your breath away. Suddenly, you find yourself in such an “emotional rollercoaster”, which the spouses themselves talk about, which unmistakably brings you into this, in many ways, extraordinary story, making you identify, think about yourself and your relationship with your loved ones. Nothing in it is simple or predictable, although it seems so, although it does so with seemingly very little effort, as it dives into the personal characters, their relationships, but also in that complex plot that brings all things to extremes.
However, when you listen to the “rational” and “simple” explanations of Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller) in court, you remain completely confused. Is that possible, can something be simple in such a complicated situation. The horror that creeps up on the viewer is perhaps best seen in the eyes of 11-year-old Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), who is actually blind. His fear, his misunderstanding, his struggles and dilemmas, which he conveys so suggestively to the viewer, as we follow the absurd conclusions, questions, and even more answers that create real chaos. “Anatomy of a Fall” thus from a thriller and a court drama turns into a psychological film, in which the answer to the questions, we are here for, becomes irrelevant. Suddenly, the door that opens and leads us in such different, unknown directions, from which it is difficult to return or recover, becomes much more important.
A story of a murder or suicide, a story of a marriage, a story set in the beautiful snowy landscapes of the French Alps, whose untouched beauty, but also coldness seemed to creep not only into their house, but also into their hearts. Searching for what will fill that emptiness, searching for what will bring emotion and warmth to that raw flawlessness, searching for lost connections, for logic, for support, for desperate attempts to find lost meaning, all things become even more meaningless and illogical. There is also cruelty, and apathy, and disinterest, and powerlessness, there are so many parts of the mosaic that should give the whole picture. And that's how Sandra will talk about her life with Samuel (Samuel Theis), that it's not the whole picture, that it's just parts, that it's just moments or quarrels in which there is exaggeration and accusation, but that the whole picture is completely different.
And where, in fact, is the whole picture. And which picture are we talking about? Is it about the lost life in the unclear circumstances, or are we talking about a married couple who started their life together as true soul mates, started it with love and great expectations, and then, after some time, when their relationship will be put under scrutiny, to appear the things that you cannot understand. What does the anatomy of a fall refer to and when, in fact, that all unhappiness begin or end. Court examinations reveal a completely different picture, asking more and more questions that, whether you like it or not, lead you in a different direction.
Just as we are confused, so is the court confused, and especially Daniel, the child who struggles with his love and attachment to parents, the child who witnessed all the ups and downs in their turbulent relationship, the child who may not want to accept, the child who struggles with his innocent and childish convictions, and most of all with his emotions. It's amazing how much is revealed during the investigation and the search for the answer whether it was a murder or suicide, it's amazing how much those details, that apparently are not the whole story, in fact they draw it. Can a person not break down plunged into such a life, inevitable drama, on which our entire fate ultimately depends, both present and future, but also the hidden one that changes first the perceptions of the protagonists, and then definitely ours as well. You can't see each other the same way anymore, things can't go on the same way, everything can't go back to the way it was, especially not when it’s about love.
That's why little Daniel will want to be alone before making the final decision, he will ask to reconsider, to find the truth, he will ask for time, as it turns out, to be able to accept the inevitable. That will be Sandra's breaking point, that point where everything you've done, invested or not, everything you've decided and fought for, everything you've wanted to believe in, everything you've lived for will be found in front of a broken mirror, which sometimes most accurately reflects the real contours.
“Anatomy of a Fall” is not a thriller, it is not just a crime film, it is a film about life, about relationships between people, about those deepest, most essential emotions, about those escapes or sacrifices, about those understandings or total separations. The fall refers to many things, although here the fall and death are turned into symbolism that makes us painfully question, especially when you are faced with the helpless gaze of the children. In the end, the verdict is not the most important thing, the most important thing is how we will survive that rollercoaster, because no one is so far that the abyss that opens before them does not drag them all down.
"Anatomy of a Fall" is about both the breakdown of a marriage and the inevitable breakdown of a family, it's about Sandra and Samuel and Daniel as much as it is about us, as much as it is about everyone trying to navigate those complex everyday relationships or distant endless spaces, to find themselves and preserve a part of their soul. To save parts which then, straightened in front of the distorted mirror, will be able to capture the whole image. Maybe incorrect, but an image that we will believe in and that will be able to give us back that meaning that is worth living for, that is worth sacrificing for, and even when the fall is imminent.
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