CLOSE MY EYES
A film review by Rodrick Su
Copyright 1992 Rodrick Su
Summary:
A man and his sister falls in love in a long hot summer.
Review:
This is one of the best treatment on the subject of incest that I have seen. It is certainly the most erotic film that I seen this year. This does not mean that the film is exploitive on the subject. Rather, the eroticism arises from the very well-constructed story line that allows the audience to fully experience the emotions of the characters.
The movie begins with a prologue that spans five years. Natalie was an unhappy woman who seems to be emotionally fragile. By contrast, Richard, her younger brother, is a self-sufficient man who was always away from home. Their affair begins after Natalie's marriage to a wealthy stock analyst, and continues through the summer.
A similar work that springs to mind is "`Tis Pity She's A Whore" by John Ford. As with the play, the movie presents a brother who has been separated from his sister for a long time. Similarly, when the sister attempts to break off the affair, the other party attempts murder in retaliation. But the major departure from the play is the character of the husband. Sinclair, the stock analysist husband, did not fly off in rage like his counterpart in the play. His action after the affair's break is very calm and rational. This character is the only enigma in the film.
Alan Rickman was given the top billing in the film for portraiting the husband. His performance in the film is quite a departure from his usual villainous roles. Here he gets to portray a man who is not wholly unlikable.
The film is blessed with good performances given by all of the actors and actresses involved. The moody violin score is well used in setting the emotion of the film. The cinematography is also excellent. I highly recommend this film.
-- Rodrick Su rod@cats.ucsc.edu rod@ucscb.ucsc.edu
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