Anatomy of a Murder

James Stewart defends the innocent again in this oft-overrated 1959 Otto Preminger legal drama, which continues to catch audiences napping with its frank testimony about rape and human sexuality. That boldness of approach--combined with a fresh score by Duke Ellington and electrifying performances by Lee Remick and a young George C. Scott--sticks in the mind more than the film's sluggish midsection. Credit Stewart again for doing the film's dirty work: holding our attention as a sweet-natured defense attorney and then shocking us with how hard-edged and aloof he can become while discussing the condition of a victim's panties. That edginess startles Scott as well, and the war of words between the two attorneys provides some of the greatest courtroom sparks this side of Inherit the Wind.