Anatomy of a Fall ending explained

What happens

Sandra is acquitted after Daniel testifies that his father may have been thinking of suicide. The film never shows what really happened. Home again, Sandra and Daniel face what the trial has cost them.

The last image

Night falls on the chalet as Daniel asks his mother to stay with him.

Three readings

1 · Samuel took his lifeDaniel's memory of his father's words rings true, and the verdict simply matches what happened.

2 · Sandra was guiltyDaniel's statement may be a loving lie, offered to keep the mother he has left.

3 · Unknowable by designThe film withholds the truth on purpose, so you share the court's doubt.

What it says

The film cares less about who caused the fall than about how stories are built from fragments. The verdict ends the legal case but not the family's. Daniel's choice shows that trust is something people decide to give.