Anatomy of a Murder (Criterion Collection)

A virtuoso James Stewart (VERTIGO) plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: that of a young Army lieutenant (THE KILLING OF a CHINESE BOOKIES Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering the local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES Lee Remick). This gripping, envelope-pushing courtroom potboiler, the most popular film from Hollywood provocateur Otto Preminger (Laura), was groundbreaking for the frankness of it's discussion of sex more than anything else, it is a striking depiction of the power of words. With it's outstanding supporting cast including a young George C. Scott (PATTON) as a fiery prosecuting attorney and legendary real-life attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge and influential jazz score by Duke Ellington, ANATOMY OF a MURDER is a Hollywood landmark; it was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture.