Spoilers are ahead for Anatomy of a Fall’s ending.
Co-written by director Justine Triet, the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall deftly avoids a movie trope that viewers absolutely detest. Not only was the film’s narrative decision regarding the family dog a popular one with audiences, but it works in Anatomy of a Fall‘s favor, especially where its ending is concerned. Starring Sandra Hüller as a writer named Sandra Voyter, the film chronicles a woman’s attempts to prove her innocence after her husband’s tragic — and suspicious — demise. While on a retreat in the isolated mountains near Grenoble, Samuel (Samuel Theis) continually interrupts his wife’s work.
When Sandra and Samuel’s visually impaired son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), returns home from a walk with his guide dog, Snoop (played expertly by canine actor Messi), they come upon Samuel’s body. Dead after an apparent fall from the chalet’s attic window, Samuel, and his demise, aren’t clear-cut. Although Sandra insists it was a freak accident, she’s the prime suspect in what could be a murder. The rest of Anatomy of a Fall depicts Sandra’s trial, which only widens the rift between her and Daniel. Interestingly, Snoop plays a crucial role throughout the Palme d’Or-winning film.
If Anatomy of a Fall was not a courtroom drama infused with thriller elements but a horror film, Snoop might not have lived to see the credits roll. Audiences are trained to not get too attached to any pet — cat, dog, or otherwise — if a movie’s premise hinges on death. Given just how cryptic Anatomy of a Fall‘s central mystery is regarding Sandra’s innocence, it’s somewhat surprising that Snoop isn’t collateral, but that’s part of what helps Anatomy of a Fall‘s script work. Saving the dog isn’t just an audience-pleasing move; it’s a crucial thematic decision.
One of Anatomy of a Fall‘s best characters, Snoop doesn’t completely steer clear of the drama at hand. In true courtroom drama form, there are two sides to the story, and Daniel is placed squarely in the middle of his parents’ marital strife. Although prosecutors believe Sandra had a hand in Samuel’s death, her defense tries to prove that the fall was actually an act of death by suicide. Remembering a time when his father overdosed, Daniel also recalls that Snoop fell ill after consuming Samuel’s vomit. Daniel purposefully feeds Snoop aspirin and, for a moment, it seems like the movie will kill off its canine actor.
Thankfully, Anatomy of a Fall doesn’t play the cruel card. Instead of overshadowing Samuel’s death — and the weight of the investigation — with Snoop’s death, the movie just requires its canine actor to play dead. While Anatomy of a Fall‘s best scene might be Sandra and Samuel’s blow-out argument, Snoop’s faux-death sequence is a close second, especially given just how believably the four-legged performer makes it. In fact, Messi the Border Collie actually won the Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palm Dog for his commendable on-screen work alongside Hüller.
According to Messi’s owner, Laura Martin Contini, it took a solid two months to prepare the canine actor for his role. While he could already play dead, Messi needed to learn how to look lethargic and remain limp despite being handled by human actors. Said training was all about discovering “how much disturbance was [the] dog going to be able to withstand whilst remaining limp,” Cotini noted in an interview with Variety. Machado-Graner said that his furry scene partner could “simulate lethargy very well” after several months of prep work.
In Messi’s lethargic scene, the dog not only plays dead and looks limp, but his tongue lolls out to simulate his drug-addled state. While that sequence might have helped Messi clinch the Palm Dog, it’s his big moment in Anatomy of a Fall‘s ending that has the biggest impact on the film’s story. After drugging Snoop and seeing that the effects are the same as the night of Samuel’s overdose, Daniel takes the witness stand. During his testimony, Daniel recalls a ride to the vet where Samuel told him he needed to be prepared for loved ones to die.
Snoop’s vet trip, and the father-son duo’s conversation about the dog’s health, indicate to Daniel that his father may have been having suicidal thoughts. This recollection leads to Sandra’s acquittal. Throughout the film, Sandra and Daniel’s relationship is strained. Even after the trial, it’s unclear if Daniel was lying to save his mother and if Sandra actually had a hand in Samuel’s death. Although they embrace, Sandra heads to bed alone and curls up with Snoop in the final scene. Since the dog is so close to Daniel, this could indicate that Sandra and her son will eventually reconnect.
Although Sandra Hüller’s performance in Anatomy of a Fall is Oscar-worthy, Messi the Border Collie is kind of the film’s breakout star. A popular attendee at the annual Oscars luncheon, Messi even performed a memorable, paw-clapping bit during the 2024 Oscars’ telecast. The canine performer’s owner and trainer fears that the award-winning turn in Anatomy of a Fall will lead to Messi being typecast as a dog who dies (or seems to die). With the dog boasting one of 2024’s best performances, it’s clear that Messi will nab plenty of meaty roles in future Hollywood projects.
Source: Variety