Anatomy Of A Fall Ending Explained: Was Sandra Guilty of Murder?

Anatomy of a Fall is a French courtroom drama about a woman accused of killing her husband, revealing the limits and ambiguity of perception.

After the mysterious death of her husband, Samuel (Samuel Theis), Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) becomes the prime suspect.

Sandra’s best defense is to claim Samuel died by suicide, which even she tells her lawyer, Vincent (Swann Arlaud), is implausible at first. The only person who can back up her version of events is her blind son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner).

1. How does Anatomy Of A Fall end?

At the end of Anatomy of a Fall, Sandra is found not guilty, although the real reason for Samuel’s death is still unclear.

After Samuel Voyter’s (Samuel Theis) mysterious death, his wife Sandra (Sandra Hüller) became the main suspect. Sandra’s best defense was to say that Samuel died by suicide, which even she told her lawyer Vincent (Swann Arlaud) seemed unlikely at first.

The only person who could support her story was her blind son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner). When an audio recording shown in court proved she also hid evidence of problems at home, Daniel’s addition to his testimony at the last second was the only thing that cleared her name.

2. Was Daniel lying to protect his mom?

It’s entirely possible recreating the moment jogged Daniel’s memory. Still, it’s also conspicuous that he changed his story to maintain a favorable outlook for Sandra at the end of Anatomy of a Fall.

Initially, Daniel said he heard Sandra and Samuel casually conversing as he walked past the shed to walk the dog, Snoop. He was positive he was standing next to the shed because of the texture of the tape Samuel put there for him to identify the location.

The investigators attempted to reconstruct the situation to ascertain how loudly Sandra and Samuel would have needed to converse for Daniel’s account to align with reality.

Unexpectedly, Samuel modified his statement, claiming he had been inside the front entrance.

It’s feasible that reenacting the scene prompted Daniel to recall details accurately. However, it’s also notable that his story shifted in a manner that benefits Sandra’s position by the conclusion of Anatomy of a Fall.

Did Samuel try to frame Sandra for his Death?

Samuel might have tried to frame Sandra if he was legitimately jealous and resentful of Sandra’s success, notably after she used one of his novel ideas in her writing.

The claims made in the recording tarnish her professionally, in addition to the hit her reputation would take from being indicted in the first place.

3. Why wasn’t Sandra happy she won?

After Sandra is acquitted, she goes to dinner with Vincent and says she feels weird because there’s usually a reward for winning.

While avoiding a conviction is undoubtedly a form of reward for her, if she’s innocent, she’s now left to process Samuel’s suicide for the first time.

Initially, Sandra disagreed with the idea that Samuel died by suicide and disagreed with Vincent’s depiction of “Samuel’s final year” presented in court.

For that to be the theory that clears her, Sandra must process complicated emotions tied to her husband’s death for the first time or may wonder about another cause.

On the other hand, if Sandra indeed killed Samuel, she must now live a lie for the rest of her life, including lying to Daniel.

Also, if she lied about Samuel’s suicide to hide her role, Daniel may have lied to back her up. Then she knows Daniel realizes her deception.

That means she may never truly escape her guilt as Daniel will remind her, and fear of his knowledge of her guilt would eat away at her forever, too.

4. Why does none of Anatomy Of A Fall’s evidence make sense?

Scrutinizing the shed after Samuel’s fall at the film’s beginning, there is an impact spot where his head may have collided, aligning with the defense’s blood spatter hypothesis.

However, there is still insufficient evidence to decide how Samuel perished.

Daniel’s testimony is equally shaky, especially considering his conflict of interest.

He knows his testimony could be the most vital factor in influencing his mother’s guilt or innocence, but he doesn’t know if he can fully trust his mom, which is why he seeks advice from Marge (Jehnny Beth), who unfortunately can’t comment on the case to him.

Memory is fallible, so his multiple-shifting testimonies are easy to explain. Still, his testimony constantly shifts in favor of Sandra, and only in response to evidence that looks bad for her makes it look like he’s changing his story to protect her.

Sandra’s situation was tricky because we, the audience, knew more than the investigators and prosecution.

On one hand, she doubted the suicide theory from the start. But if she were guilty, you’d expect her to support the most vital alibi more eagerly.

When looking closely at the shed after Samuel fell, there seemed to be a spot where his head could have hit. This matched the defense’s blood splatter theory. But it still didn’t give us a clear answer about what happened to Samuel.

After Anatomy of a Fall, there remains significant uncertainty about Samuel’s death and how truthful Sandra and Daniel are.

The uncertainty demonstrates how perspective can complicate things, considering the sole “eyewitness” account comes from Sandra’s blind son. Sandra tells Samuel’s therapist: “What you say is only part of the whole picture.

“You know. Sometimes a couple is chaotic, and everyone feels lost.” At the end of Anatomy of a Fall, we only have partial, fragmented stories, leaving both the court and the audience to fill in the gaps themselves.

5. Why Anatomy Of A Fall’s final shot is of Sandra & her dog?

Anatomy of a Fall ends not with Sandra alongside her son but with their dog, Snoop, by her side. It highlights how alone Sandra still feels.

Her husband has passed away, and while her son may have tried to protect her feelings, they still have a long way to go to rebuild their trust. Having Snoop there reminds Sandra that she is still loved while also reflecting on her losses.

Snoop could also represent Daniel, showing hope for Sandra’s future. Snoop was Daniel’s loyal friend, and continuing to be there for Sandra signifies that Daniel also cares.

Though it will take time to heal, cuddling Snoop symbolizes Daniel staying with her.

6. About Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall (French: Anatomie d’une chute) is a 2023 French legal drama film, directed by Justine Triet from a screenplay she co-wrote with Arthur Harari. It stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death. Appearing in supporting roles are Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, and Sophie Fillières.

Anatomy of a Fall premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023, where it won the Palme d’Or and the Palm Dog Award and competed for the Queer Palm.

It was released theatrically in France by Le Pacte on 23 August 2023, receiving critical acclaim, selling over 1.7 million admissions in France, and winning six awards at the 49th César Awards, including Best Film. The film also gained significant international success, winning two Golden Globes as well as the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.