BELOVED (1998)
by Chris Webb copyright 1998
cast: Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Kimberly
Elise, Beah Richards, Albert Hall, Irma P. Hall,
Kessia Randall, Lisa Gay Hamilton
directed by Jonathan Demme
written by Adam Brooks, Akosua Busia, Richard LaGravenese
based on Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved"
Everything Oprah touches turns to gold, what is surprising is that shehas sustained her touch for thirteen years. Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated for her first and only other major film role ("The Color Purple"), she is a best selling author and now sings her television show's theme song. She would probably win the Presidency if she wanted. Still, I entered "Beloved" with reservations. When it comes to adaptations, Toni Morrison's novel is not film-friendly and had tremendous risk of failure. Sometimes, as is the case with "Beloved," the risk can turn into a powerful experience.
I have read "Beloved" twice and still cannot grasp all of its intricacies. I watched with my parents, who have never before read the book. This allowed me to judge if reading the book is needed for the film. Aside from being able to follow the plot, previous knowledge will not enhance or detract from the experience.
Beloved follows the story of ex-slave Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) eight years after the end of the Civil War. An old friend from the plantation she worked, Paul D (Danny Glover) arrives on her doorstep after wandering for eighteen years after his own escape. There he finds Sethe and her daughter Denver (Kimberly Elise) living in a house haunted by the demons of Sethe's past. Her house is possessed by the spirit of the baby daughter she killed right after her escape to spare her from being claimed by the master. This daughter, Beloved (Thandie Newton), returns home in the body of a teenager further haunting and suffocating the life out of everyone in the house.
The story is told partly through flashbacks from Sethe's point of view. Director Jonathan Demme weaves image after image of the psychologically horrific reality that slavery must have been: the slaveholder's sons sucking Sethe's nursing milk from her body as Sethe would have seen it, the spinning delirium of running away from evil not knowing who is following, the bloody terror of whipping, the gagging and hanging of slaves. Demme's use of extreme close-up locks the viewer into this trauma in almost the same way Stephen Spielberg brought the audience into the battlefield in "Saving Private Ryan." It is a grotesque and nerve-wracking ride, but well worth the struggle.
While the direction is inspired, the performances keep the focus on the characters and story. The characters of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved are so deep and layered, "Beloved" should be a woman's acting dream. Beah Richards as Baby Suggs, Sethe's soulful mother-in-law that we see through flashback, is commanding in her small, but pivotal performance. Demme is known as an actor's director, and he pulls out career-defining performances from all the leads.
I found potentially five acting Oscar nominations that could arise out of "Beloved." Yet since 1977, the year I was born, there have been thirteen Academy Award nominated black actors. Only one woman, Whoopi Goldberg ("Ghost" - 1990), has won in that time. Keep in mind, too, that only five of the past one hundred acting nominees have been black. Unfortunately, I do not see this year equaling that total no matter how good they are. Then again, maybe Hollywood will put away its bias this year.
Oprah Winfrey is almost a shoo-in for the Best Actress trophy, putting in one of the top performances of the decade. Kimberly Elise is riveting as Denver as is Beah Richards. Danny Glover shines as Paul D and should score his long overdue first nomination. But the show really belongs to Thandie Newton who outdid Morrison in creating a tangible Beloved.
Newton first appears walking out of a lake covered in bugs, huskily breathing like an alien inside a human body. She walks as if uncomfortable in her skin, talks in growly monotone, and eats with reckless abandon. Beloved is an unbridled and undeveloped soul trapped in a human body, and is a creation different from anything in the movies. Newton exhibits a range of often volatile emotions and unrepressed sexuality in a sincere, intense, and extremely brave performance. This should put her on the acting map for a long time.
"Beloved" deserves to be seen, but I fear that much of the public will dismiss it because of its length and complexity. It is as complex as the novel, and should leave more questions than answers. Painful and frightening, my father mentioned that it unintentionally made for a great horror movie. But that is what good films do. They transcend the boundaries set by conventional wisdom.
Toni Morrison endorses "Beloved," always a good sign for a film. It is a vision that Oprah held for ten years that has finally come to fruition. As a result of this labor, we might have a close Oscar race for the first time in years. This is one of the best films you will see in 1998, joining "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Spanish Prisoner." Submerge yourself in this entrancing film and savor it. Films this deeply driven by character do not come around often.
My grade: A
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