Sandra, an acclaimed author, lives in the mountains with her partner Samuel, a frustrated writer, and their young son, Daniel, who is visually impaired. When the lifeless body of the second is discovered lying in the snow, suspicion seizes the authorities. This is because, according to the revelations, the thesis of homicide and that of suicide both prove to be as convincing as the other. While Sandra finds herself at the heart of a hypermedia trial, Daniel revisits his memories. Will what the child heard on that fateful day help to exonerate or convict his mother? Winner of the Palme d’Or, Anatomy of a fallby Justine Triet, is brilliantly ambiguous.
“This ambiguity that you speak of was an obsession for me, right up until the final cut,” confided the director during an interview held earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“I had to maintain both empathy for Sandra and, at the same time, instill a feeling that she may have killed her partner. Being with her, being “on her side”, then doubting her. Despite the fact that she seems very human to us, could she not have done it, given the posture she displays? She exudes confidence, she holds her own, she is quite strong: physically, she would have had the capacity. »
It also happens that Sandra (played by Sandra Hüller) misremembers or lies.
“But does that mean anything? Nourishing and preserving ambiguity: it was long and arduous work,” summarizes Justine Triet.
The filmmaker specifies that one of her constant concerns was to avoid any form of caricature in relation to Sandra, this heroine or antiheroine, as desired. “It was imperative to remain very subtle. »
Mother and child
Justine Trier explains that there were two “strategic moments” in the design ofAnatomy of a fall.
“First, I wanted to make a film again about a couple [voir Victoria, avec déjà une composante judiciaire sur fond d’affres conjugales], but a real dive into the twists and turns of the couple. Then there was this click, when I had the idea of positioning the child in the center of the court; the child would be at the center of everything and witness the entire dissection of his parents’ history. So, there was this woman and the darkness of what she experienced in her relationship, and the perspective of the child, who gradually loses confidence in his mother. There, I knew that I had my film: there have been many legal dramas, but few or none with, like that, a mother and a son in tandem. »
Written in collaboration with Arthur Harari, already co-writer of Sybil, the previous feature film by Justine Triet, the screenplay constitutes a model of narrative entanglement. In that truth and falsehood become entangled without necessarily being able to distinguish them: like a jury, the public must weigh and decide.
I had to maintain both empathy for Sandra and, at the same time, instill a sense that she may have killed her spouse. Being with her, being “on her side”, then doubting her.
“This script was longer than those of my other films because each technical element counts: the distance between the ground and the balcony [d’où s’est jeté ou a été poussé Samuel], the positioning of the lean-to in relation to the overhanging balcony, the angle of this lean-to, etc. : all these things are dissected during the trial. At the same time, during filming, I didn’t want to be trapped in a straightjacket, so I tried to bring spontaneity; welcome the happy accidents that always happen during filming. The goal was for the result not to be too smooth, for it to lively. »
The language of conflict
In the story, several contradictory pieces of information confuse the issue, much to the chagrin of the protagonist, but to the great delight of the audience. The question of language, for example, proves to be a source of potential misunderstandings.
Indeed, Sandra is German, Samuel is French and, on a daily basis, with Daniel, the couple speaks English. Both at the beginning of the film and during the numerous flashbacks, the three languages coexist. As for the trial, it takes place in French, which puts Sandra at a disadvantage.
“Language is really a very important theme in the film. What I find fascinating about the language in this case is that it is the embodiment of the difficulty this couple experiences in understanding each other. This is the place of the impulse during the argument scene [entre Sandra et Samuel]. »
And as we mentioned, the language is used quite differently in court:
“In court, the language becomes very harsh: words can reduce this woman to what she is not necessarily. Because when justice lacks proof, morality gets involved: there, it is Sandra’s way of life that is judged. »
Galvanizing staging
On the subject of flashbacks, it is important to mention that most of them come from testimonies — from Sandra, Daniel and even Samuel, from beyond the grave. Therefore, the veracity of these flashback necessarily depends on the probity of who is at the helm. Again, the trial moves from the courtroom to the movie theater.
In this regard, the staging is frequently galvanizing from a cinephile point of view, the director producing a series of brilliant discoveries. For example, we think of this passage — and we will remain vague on purpose here — where one of the characters relates a key memory concerning comments made by Samuel shortly before his death. This character narrates said memory in such a way that we see Samuel speaking, but speaking in the voice of the person testifying. Therefore, we can wonder if it is a real event or a fabrication, since we are literally putting “words in the mouth” of the deceased.
“What I found interesting was precisely that we don’t know whether or not the person is inventing this story. We do not know if what is being said actually happened or if it is a projection, a fabrication aimed at influencing the outcome of the trial. »
So, is Sandra guilty or not guilty? Calculating murderer or victim of circumstances? Don’t count on Justine Triet to dispel the mystery, as this anecdote attests: “Before filming, Sandra Hüller asked me how to play the character and I told her: play this woman like an innocent. Try to convince us. »
A prodigious actress, Sandra Hüller achieves this without difficulty. Now, to use Justine Triet’s formula, does this mean anything? Rarely has being manipulated been so satisfying.
The film Anatomy of a fall will be on display on October 27.