You're scrolling through Hulu or looking at your local indie theater’s showtimes and you see it. The poster with the blood on the snow. You know it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. You know it was nominated for five Oscars. But there is one nagging question stopping you from hitting play: is Anatomy of a Fall in English, or are you going to be glued to subtitles for two and a half hours?
The short answer? It’s complicated. Honestly, it’s a mix.
If you are looking for a simple "yes" or "no," you won't find it here because the movie itself is built on the very idea of language barriers. About 59% of the dialogue is in English. The rest is French, with a tiny splash of German. It isn't just a stylistic choice by director Justine Triet; the language struggle is the actual engine of the plot. If you skip it because you're "not a subtitle person," you’re missing out on one of the most clever uses of linguistics in modern cinema.
The Language Tug-of-War in the courtroom
Sandra Voyter, played by the incredible Sandra Hüller, is a German writer living in the French Alps. Her husband, Samuel, is French. Their son, Daniel, is French. So, what do they speak at home? They speak English. It is their "middle ground." It’s the neutral territory where neither has the home-field advantage.
When Samuel falls to his death (or is pushed—that’s the whole point), Sandra is thrust into a French legal system that demands she speak French. Imagine being on trial for murder in a language you haven't mastered. It’s terrifying. The prosecutor, a sharp-tongued man played by Antoine Reinartz, constantly weaponizes her preference for English against her. He makes it seem like her refusal to speak French fluently is a sign of her arrogance or her alienation from her family.
During the trial, the film frequently jumps back and forth. You'll hear a witness testify in French, then Sandra will respond in English, and an interpreter will bridge the gap. It’s jarring. It’s supposed to be. It makes you feel her isolation. If you’re wondering is Anatomy of a Fall in English enough for a casual watch, just know that the English parts are usually the most emotionally charged moments.
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Why the "English" Question Matters for the Plot
Most people ask about the language because they want to know if they can "multitask" while watching. You can't. Not with this one.
The movie hinges on a specific audio recording found on Samuel’s USB drive. This recording captures a fight the couple had the day before he died. In this scene, they argue almost entirely in English. Why? Because they are fighting about their lives, their son’s accident, and their careers. They need to be precise. Sandra feels she is "winning" the argument because her English is better than Samuel’s French-accented English.
Linguistic power dynamics
- English as a Shield: Sandra uses English to maintain her identity.
- French as a Weapon: The court uses French to make her look like an outsider.
- German as a Secret: It’s her mother tongue, rarely used, representing her truest self.
There’s a specific moment where the judge allows Sandra to switch to English because she can’t express the "complexity" of her feelings in French. The prosecutor hates this. He wants her boxed in by words she doesn't fully grasp. This is why the film is so brilliant—it treats language as a character.
Breaking Down the Percentages
If we’re being technical, the film is a true trilingual production.
Sandra Hüller is German. In real life, she speaks fluent English and learned French for the role (though she already had some knowledge of it). This authenticity bleeds into the screen. When she stumbles over a French verb, that’s not just acting; it’s the reality of a polyglot life.
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The film's distribution reflected this mix. In the United States, Neon handled the release and leaned heavily into the English-heavy scenes for the trailers. In France, it was marketed as a French film. It actually caused a bit of a stir when France didn't select it as their entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar (they chose The Taste of Things instead), partly because of its heavy English usage and partly due to political friction between Triet and the French government.
Can You Watch It Without Subtitles?
Unless you are fluent in both French and English, no.
If you watch the "English" version, the French parts will still have forced subtitles. If you watch it on a streaming service like Hulu or rental platforms like Apple TV, the subtitles are usually "burned in" for the French sections or handled via a standard SRT file.
One thing to watch out for: some viewers find the transition between languages confusing if the subtitle settings aren't right. Make sure your settings are on "English (CC)" or "English" to ensure you get the translations for the French dialogue. Without them, you will lose about 40% of the movie's context, including the crucial testimony of the son, Daniel, and the intense questioning by the lawyers.
The Real-World Impact of the Language Choice
Interestingly, the choice to make the movie largely in English was a pragmatic one for the characters. Sandra and Samuel met in London. English was their "meet-cute" language. It was the language of their romance before it became the language of their war.
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Many international couples live this way. They pick a third language that belongs to neither of them to keep things fair. But as we see in the movie, nothing is ever truly fair. When they move to Samuel’s childhood home in the French Alps, the "neutrality" of English starts to fail. Samuel is back in his element, but Sandra is stranded.
This linguistic displacement is a huge part of why the movie feels so cold and lonely. The mountains are beautiful, but they are also a prison of words Sandra can't quite use to defend herself.
Practical Advice for Your Viewing
If you're ready to dive in, don't let the "foreign film" label scare you off. It’s a legal thriller first and a linguistic study second. It moves fast.
- Check your source: If you're buying a physical Blu-ray, ensure it's the region-appropriate version with English subtitles.
- Focus on the tone: Even when they speak French, the body language tells half the story.
- Don't look away: This isn't a "background noise" movie. You need to see the subtitles to understand the legal traps being set.
Moving Forward with Anatomy of a Fall
Now that you know the answer to is Anatomy of a Fall in English is a "yes, mostly," you should prepare for the experience. The film is a masterclass in ambiguity. It doesn't give you easy answers about whether Sandra did it or not. Instead, it asks you to judge her—not just on the evidence, but on her character, her motherhood, and yes, even her language.
To get the most out of your viewing:
- Watch the fight scene twice. It’s the centerpiece of the film. Listen to how they switch words when they get angry.
- Pay attention to Daniel. The son’s perception of the truth changes based on what he hears in both languages.
- Research the French legal system. It’s very different from the American or British "adversarial" system, which explains why the trial feels so chaotic to English-speaking audiences.
The movie is a journey. It’s a puzzle. Whether it’s in English, French, or German, the tragedy of a family falling apart is a language we all unfortunately understand.