To dissect or analyze something in detail, examining all its parts and how they work together (British spelling).
From Greek 'anatome' (cutting up) adapted into English, with the '-ise' ending being the British spelling convention, used since the 16th century for both literal dissection and figurative analysis.
When critics anatomise a film, they're not destroying it—they're like careful surgeons examining every frame, dialogue choice, and camera angle to understand how the filmmaker created meaning.
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