MovieChat Forums > Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Discussion > James Stewart is 'the bad guy'

James Stewart is 'the bad guy'

posted 16 years ago by rick-220
43 replies | jump to latest

Ok, bear with me.

Due to the ambiguous ending - guilt or innocence is never firmly established - I started thinking about the motives in the movie, and I'm leaning more and more towards thinking James Stewart plays the ultimate 'bad guy' in this movie, an unethical lawyer, not seeking justice, but just trying to get his client of the hook, using every trick in the book.
While Preminger is manipulating the viewer into seeing the prosecution as the scheming, arrogant, high-profile government officials, it's actually James Stewart who is manipulating facts, manipulating testimonies and badgering witnesses more than the prosecution is.
He constantly lets shine through that he is not convinced of Gazarra and Remicks innocence, but never really seems bothered by this. Even in the end when Remick and Gazarra have fled the scene he is not in the least worried that he might have set guilty people free.

Also some other moments, like the way he 'bribes' the judge in the judge's chambers by cosying up to him and giving him a fishing fly (hidden in a law book!), are clear indication that he is not driven by finding justice but by wanting to win the case. Also the 'greed' with which he is looking forward to his new case - representing the Quill estate - doesn't really make his character sympathetic.

If this was Preminger's intention then his casting choices were extremely interesting and pretty brilliant.

voting history: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=629013

[–] Zanza8 11 years ago

James Stewart plays the ultimate 'bad guy' in this movie, an unethical lawyer, not seeking justice, but just trying to get his client of the hook, using every trick in the book.

A defense attorney's job is not to seek justice. It's to get his client off the hook. Do you understand what unethical behavior in an attorney is? It's fabricating evidence, suborning perjury, and breaking other rules in the canon of ethics. Name one thing Stewart did along those lines.

http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 10 years ago

From a schmaltzy, typical Hollywood perspective you are right. But I personally don't think there's anything wrong with what Stewart's character did. I am encouraging my own children to go to law school, and I would be proud of them if they were more or less like him as trial lawyers.

I think it's so important that everyone get a strong defense that it's okay if defense lawyers push the envelope a bit. Unfortunately, too many times public defenders go the opposite way and only go through the motions.

Now, when prosecutors use shady techniques or fail to use discretion, just trying to get a "win" rather than only seeking to prosecute those they truly think are guilty, that does bother me.

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[–] fanaticita 9 years ago

I read this thread thoroughly and it really helped me understand more about this amazing film. At first I couldn't really understand Stewart's character, the lawyer. I kept thinking "Is this lawyer good or bad?" But you're right, the lawyer's job is to get his client off. Think OJ Simpson!

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

There ya go!

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