NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Since Justine Triet鈥檚 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where , Sandra H眉ller has been dogged by a question: Did she do it?
In 鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� H眉ller plays a well-known novelist, also named Sandra, whose husband (Samuel Theis) is found dead outside their chalet in the French Alps after plunging from a top-floor window. Did he fall, or was he pushed?
There are no witnesses except, possibly, a border collie named Snoop. The couple鈥檚 11-year-old son is blind. Authorities charge Sandra with murder. When the trial commences, 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� twists a legal procedural into a thorny marital drama, putting the couple鈥檚 tumultuous relationship 鈥� all the fights, resentments and affairs 鈥� on the stand.
It is a staggering showcase for the German actor H眉ller's cunning intelligence and rigorous intensity as a performer. Is Sandra鈥檚 frank testimony convincing because she鈥檚 innocent or is it that H眉ller is just that good?
鈥淚 answered the questions that were posed to her in the most honest way that was possible, but I don鈥檛 know the complete truth,鈥� H眉ller said in a recent interview. 鈥淚 decided to believe her. I decided to play her as someone who鈥檚 telling the truth, even if it鈥檚 just that she believes she鈥檚 telling the truth. At the same time, I wanted her to be someone whom I could think capable of doing such a thing."
鈥淪he should be a dangerous person, in a way,鈥� H眉ller added. 鈥淣ot dangerous in a way of threatening people but dangerous in the way of: You don鈥檛 mess around with her.鈥�
鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� which Neon releases in theaters Friday, has been But by an even wider margin, no film this year has left more moviegoers turning to each other afterward to ask: 鈥淪o, what do you think?鈥�
Triet, who wrote the film with her husband Arthur Harari (鈥淚t's OK, he鈥檚 alive,鈥� she chipperly notes), wanted to use the conventions of a courtroom drama 鈥� with its expert witnesses and cross-examinations 鈥� to dig into the subjective nature of relationships.
鈥淔or many years I was tormented by the ways in which relationships I had been in, whether with men or in friendships, could be so deformed in time by the telling of them,鈥� Triet says. 鈥淎nd this indignation of: 鈥楴o, it was real.'"
鈥淚n some ways, maybe that鈥檚 why I make films at all, so that we create an object that, once it鈥檚 made, doesn鈥檛 move anymore,鈥� she adds.
鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� is getting a major awards push from Neon in multiple categories, including best picture, though not in the one category it was expected to be favored. While Palme d鈥橭r winners are typically chosen as a country鈥檚 best international film submission, France picked Tr岷 Anh H霉ng鈥檚 also celebrated 鈥淭he Taste of Things.鈥�
In discussing the snub for 鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� already a hit in French cinemas, some noted the fiery speech Triet gave when accepting the Palme d鈥橭r in Cannes. Triet spoke out against what she called government repression of and 鈥渢he commodification of culture鈥� under President Emmanuel Macron.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know exactly what happened,鈥� Triet, who became just the third female filmmaker to win the Palme. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 want to be the bad loser. I think now it鈥檚 OK for Tr岷 Anh H霉ng. Of course, at the beginning we were disappointed but now it鈥檚 OK. We鈥檙e staying in the race.鈥�
That鈥檚 especially true in the case of H眉ller, the 45-year-old who, after an international breakthrough in has emerged as one of Europe鈥檚 top actors. She also stars this fall in Jonathan Glazer鈥檚 acclaimed Holocaust drama as Hedwig H枚ss, wife of the Nazi commandant Rudolf H枚ss. The double whammy of the two films prompted H眉ller to be declared this May.
But if the spotlight is getting brighter on H眉ller, it was clear on her recent trip to the , with family in tow, that she has only so much interest in it. H眉ller was most comfortable praising her fellow actors or talking about weekend plans with her kids. When H眉ller wraps a film, she鈥檚 typically content to let the character go.
鈥淎t one point, it鈥檚 really enough,鈥� she says, smiling. 鈥淚 really enjoy the lower energy of life that normally goes on around me.鈥�
H眉ller's entry into a role is just as organic. For her, even the phrase 鈥済etting into character鈥� feels too clinical for a process she describes as instinctive and subconscious.
鈥淲henever I connect with an idea or a person or a story 鈥� and that鈥檚 something I can鈥檛 control 鈥� my perception of the world changes a little bit,鈥� says H眉ller. 鈥淚 tend to see things I didn鈥檛 before that are connected to the person or the story. It鈥檚 kind of a psychological but dangerous thing.鈥�
In the case of 鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� H眉ller knew immediately after reading the script that she wanted to play Sandra. Triet, whose 2019 film 鈥淪ibyl鈥� co-starred H眉ller, had written it with her in mind. But Triet refused to tell her whether the character had committed murder or not.
鈥淚 decided precisely in my head. But it鈥檚 a secret,鈥� says Triet. 鈥淔or me, the most important thing to say is: 鈥榊ou need to play it like an innocent.鈥� It was important for me that the movie would bring a spectator to think: She might have killed him. She might have pushed him to suicide. She might be responsible without having actually killed him.鈥�
Triet has said she鈥檒l share her version of the story in 10 years. But whatever the answer, 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥� is about accepting and living with doubt. The couple鈥檚 son is ultimately forced to decide about his mother for himself.
鈥淵ou have to decide,鈥� says Triet. 鈥淵ou have to have a position before knowing something in full.鈥�
While H眉ller felt deep affection, even a protectiveness for Sandra, her relationship with Hedwig in 鈥淭he Zone of Interest鈥� was radically different. H眉ller had previously never wanted to play a Nazi but she was coaxed into doing it for Glazer鈥檚 film, a formalist portrait of a family living alongside Auschwitz, seemingly unperturbed by the horror Rudolf oversees next door.
鈥淭he more I knew about her 鈥� which wasn鈥檛 very much 鈥� the less respect I had for her,鈥� says H眉ller. 鈥淚 decided not to give her any empathy or any of my normal pool of feelings. Just to go on without it, to try to show somebody who鈥檚 just doing her thing and doesn鈥檛 care.鈥�
Guilt means something else entirely in 鈥淭he Zone of Interest.鈥� There鈥檚 no question of the atrocity taking place. H眉ller鈥檚 performance is just as concentrated, just as direct, but it鈥檚 empty, intentionally. For her, the real challenge of the role was the personal side of it, living with what she called 鈥渢he ancestral responsibility鈥� of the Holocaust as a German. The acting part, she shrugs, was 鈥淥K.鈥�
鈥淚n a way, the things that I didn鈥檛 give to her I gave to the people she killed,鈥� says H眉ller. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like it's put around the corner. I served somebody else, not her.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
