Volume 3,Issue 7
Film analysis of Anatomy of a Fall
Anatomy of a Fall (2023), directed by French director Justin Tritt, presents a story that appears to revolve around a suspicious death but ultimately focuses on the gradual collapse of a marriage which have experienced long-term imbalance. This paper analyzes the film from four perspectives. First, it explores the imbalance between Sandra and Samuel's professional competition and family responsibilities, and reveal the hidden power exchange and emotional tension behind love. Second, it presents the metaphorical function of the courtroom scene, and examine how private emotions are reconstructed by the language of the law into an open confrontation of power. Third, it focuses on the symbolic role of language in intimate relationships. English, as the medium of communication between the two, is both a "third space" for emotional connection and, under judicial scrutiny, reveals its powerlessness as a barrier. Finally, it explores the theory of gender performances, which helps interpret the intentional reversal of gender roles as a critique of the systemic oppression rooted in social expectations. The article also focuses on the symbolic role of language in intimate relationships. Taken together, the film argues that the “fall” depicted in the film is not merely an individual’s downfall but an allegorical critique of the enduring structures of gender inequality.
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