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By ETHAN CUHULINN
Based on Ariel Dorfman's
eponymous play, director Roman Polanski has
created a powerful drama that maintains its
theatrical pedigree (i.e. lot's of dialogue)
without sacrificing suspense. Indeed, "Death and
the Maiden" can easily be described as a mystery
and a psychological thriller.
The story takes place in an unnamed South American
country which has apparently only recently shed
its authoritarian past. Sigourney Weaver is a
survivor of that past, having been abducted 15
years earlier and tortured and raped by a doctor
who was working for the authorities. Suddenly, she
thinks she may have found the man responsible (an
oily Ben Kingsley). How far does she go to prove
it to herself and to her up-and-coming lawyer
husband (played by Stuart Wilson)? Does she
torture the doctor in turn? And what sort of
revenge is appropriate? Will she be satisfied just
to know -- and to know how and why anybody could
be this cruel? Or is revenge a synonym for just
punishment?
Watching the film I found myself vacillating
constantly, one minute I was convinced Kingsley
was the torturer. A minute or so after I was full
of doubt. On one hand I felt retribution was
necessary. On the other, I felt that actually
knowing who her torturer was could a proper
resolution in itself.
Any film that does not provide easy answers to
difficult questions is quite worthwhile as far as
I'm concerned. Note though, that the material,
since it deals with torture, is sometimes
difficult to watch.
Technically, the cinematography by Tonino Delli
Colli is wondrous, adding to the tension -- the
setting is a coastal house by a cliff during a
storm, an ominous location by any criterion,
although much of the action takes place indoors.
The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic
widescreen, and the transfer is clean and
blemish-free. The sound is in its original Dolby
Digital 2.0 stereo, and has not been remixed for
5.1.
The supplemental features are disappointing
though: They consist entirely of five theatrical
trailers ("for Death and the Maiden," "Bitter
Moon," "Invincible," "Storytelling" and "Human
Nature") and a web link to New Line's website.
Still, I recommend the DVD since the film makes
for a very powerful experience. |
