If there were an award for shrewdest US distributor at the Cannes Film Festival, it would have to go to Neon, who picked up its fourth consecutive Palme d’Or at the end of the 76th edition on Saturday. The grand prize went to French director Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall,” a mystery and courtroom drama starring Sandra Hüller that Neon acquired shortly after its premiere at the festival on Tuesday.
In the two weeks leading up to the end of this year’s festival, critical acclaim focused on “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer’s austere riff on Martin Amis’ novel about the commandant of Auschwitz. As a result, many thought she would be an obvious choice for the Palme.
But the critics don’t pick that award; the jury is made up of filmmakers and actors who tend to arrive at a consensual choice for the first prize by spreading the love in other categories (the winner of La Palma cannot receive other prizes). “Zone” won the Grand Prix – essentially second place – creating the A24 blueprint for a bright future beyond the festival. The German-language production could wind up as an international Oscar nomination for the UK, while the film’s impeccable craftsmanship could prepare it for other major categories, including Best Director and Best Picture.
However, many journalists were surprised that the one film that generated the most hype over the course of two weeks didn’t get the top prize. “It wasn’t easy,” said a coy Ostlund at a judging press conference. “I think all of us had to really fight for what we believed was the right film and the competition was tough.” He added that the “Anatomy” premiere was “an intense screening. That’s exactly what cinema should be about. I’m very excited to see that film out into the world.
For now, then, the spotlight is most on “Anatomy of a Fall” – and it’s in good company. Neon’s first win at the Palms came in 2020 with “Parasite,” which launched it on a long awards season that culminated with its historic Best Picture win. It was followed by 2021’s “Titane,” Julia Ducournau’s feminist horror effort that became France’s official nomination, and then last year’s Ruben Ostlund-directed satire “Triangle of Sadness,” which garnered Academy Award nominations. for Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. Will “Anatomy of a Fall” continue on a similar path?
The directors of the latter two winners sat on this year’s judging panel, with Ostlund as chairman. The Swedish director said at the start of the festival that he would rather win a third Palme d’Or than an Oscar. However, since both of his Palme d’Or winners were also Oscar nominees (he was also nominated for his previous Palme d’Or winner “The Square”), Ostlund understands the potential stepping stone effect of a win of La Palma – and also Neon, which will now aim to position the film for the year to come with some obvious categories.
Hüller, who has been a Cannes favorite since her acclaimed performance in the 2016 comedy “Toni Erdmann,” also had a supporting role as the wife of the commandant of Auschwitz played by Christian Friedel. Many expected Hüller to take home the Best Actress award in her biggest year at the festival. She didn’t, but she was still called back to the festival to join Triet on stage for the awards, and the UTA-represented actress has a good chance of expanding her profile in the US this year as the centerpiece of a production in mostly in English.
This also creates a curious challenge for ‘Anatomy’ when it comes to Oscar potential. “Anatomy of a Fall” will prove to be a challenging theatrical proposition, but any audience wary of so-called “foreign language” films will not be deterred. The film stars Hüller as a German writer who is accused of murdering her husband in their snowy cabin. Her interrogation in her courtroom consumes much of the story as she is steeped in ambiguity and she often uses the English language to communicate because her character struggles in French.
Oscar requirements for international nominations dictate that at least 51 percent of dialogue must be in a language other than English, and English dominates several key scenes in the film. However, sources tell IndieWire that the mk2 sales agent makes clear in negotiations that “Anatomy”‘s dialogue is predominantly French and could qualify for the country’s Oscar nomination if its committee selects it later this year. It’s up to the Academy now to check the math on this one.
The La Palma win for Triet marks only the third time the award has gone to a woman after Ducournau’s win in 2021, which followed Jane Campion’s award for ‘The Piano’ way back in 1993. With 33 percent of the shortlist of Cannes directed by women and seven in competition, the odds were higher than ever for another woman to win the award. On stage to present this year’s Palme d’Or announcement, Jane Fonda put that progress into historical context by recalling her first trip to the festival in the early 1960s. “There were no female directors competing at the time and it never occurred to us that there was anything wrong with that,” she said. “We’ve come a long way and we still have a long way to go, but we still need to celebrate change when it happens.”
However, it would be a foolish undertaking to argue that the jury singled out Triet solely on the basis of her gender. ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is top-notch Hitchcockian storytelling with a bold legal twist that keeps audiences guessing, and follows Triet’s well-received dark comedy ‘Sybil’ which starred in competition in 2019. She has been on the good road to deliver a universally well-received Cannes hit for quite some time. “This film is the most intimate that you have ever written, the one that is closest to me,” she said in her Cannes speech. She added that she originally planned the project as a TV series until her producers convinced her to turn it into a feature film. “I thought I’d fast forward, do something else,” she said. “I’d just like to say at this stage that I’m very happy that I made a film.”
Triet’s speech took a political turn when he noted ongoing protests over France’s decision to raise the pension from 62 to 64. Additionally, she expressed concern about an end to France’s “cultural exception” to art that cuts the value-added tax on creative endeavors. “The commodification of culture advocated by the French government is breaking the French cultural exception,” she said. “Without this cultural exception, I wouldn’t be here in front of you today. This award is dedicated to all those who are unable to make films today. I occupied this space 15 years ago in a less hostile world where it was still possible to make mistakes and start over.”
The specificity of these observations may or may not remain a part of Triet’s campaign as “Anatomy of a Fall” makes its way around the world. But whatever happens next, it seems likely that her profile will continue to expand after Cannes. As the presenter of the ceremony Chiara Mastroianni said at the beginning of the show: “It’s the closing night, but it’s not over. Viewers will now step in and spread the word about the movies here.”
Check out the full list of award winners here.
