AFFLICTION A film review by David N. Butterworth Copyright 1999 David N. Butterworth
*** (out of ****)
af.flic.tion \a'flik-shen\ n 1 : the state of being afflicted 2 a : the cause of persistent pain or distress b : great suffering
With a definition like that, you know from the get-go that "Affliction" isn't going to be a walk in the park. And with a screenwriter like Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull") at the helm, plus Russell Banks' ("The Sweet Hereafter") searing novel providing the source material, it's even less likely that the film is going to serve as anyone's idea of "light entertainment."
And if you happen to miss those obvious clues, the omnipresent snow will soon tip you off.
In the last several years, filmmakers have used the white stuff, the cold, harsh grip of midwinter, as a backdrop for some emotionally intense psychological dramas. Films like "Fargo," Atom Egoyan's afore-mentioned "The Sweet Hereafter" and, most recently, "A Simple Plan" have all been set in some distant, desolate place where the sun barely shines. It's a familiar sight: our protagonists crunching through freshly fallen snow, looking like alien beings with their woolen hats pulled down tightly about their ears, oversized mittens rendering their fingers immobile, their huge coats flapping in the icy Arctic wind.
"Affliction" is the latest addition to the cold winter drama, and once again the snow and the ice lend the film a certain dignity, reminding us unequivocally that bad things happen in bad weather.
Set in the upstate New Hampshire neighborhood of Lawford, "Affliction" focuses on the character of Wade Whitehouse, a man with one humdinger of a toothache. Born and raised in the economically depressed town, Wade functions as Lawford's solitary law enforcement officer, but is often relegated to acting as school crossing guard or performing odd jobs for a local entrepreneur.
A struggling alcoholic, Wade is separated from his wife Lillian (an unrecognizable Mary Beth Hurt) and trying to maintain a relationship with his teenage daughter, whose line "I love you Dad, but I just want to go home" summarizes a lot of the pain experienced by children embroiled in bitter custody battles. Wade is all too aware of parent-child conflicts, having been raised by an abusive, drunken father (James Coburn), whom he occasionally visits at the crumbling family farm.
When a prominent businessman is accidentally shot and killed on the first day of the deer hunting season, Wade suspects foul play, and sees the investigation as an opportunity to re-establish himself in the eyes of the disillusioned community.
"Affliction" is a bleak, downbeat tale with few rays of light or hope. As Wade, a man on the emotional edge, Nick Nolte turns in a powerhouse, Oscar®-nominated performance that is sometimes sensitive, often times brimming with intensity. Coburn also received a nomination for his fine work here.
Willem Dafoe (from Schrader's "Light Sleeper") as Wade's brother Rolfe, who has escaped Lawford for an arguably better life, narrates the tale, sparingly. Sissy Spacek--where's she been hiding all these years?--is excellent as Wade's beleaguered girlfriend, Margie Fogg. Also worthy of mention is Paul Sarossy's cinematography--Sarossy shot "The Sweet Hereafter"--and Michael Brooks' somber score that never outplays its welcome.
As the barn burns and Wade pours himself another drink, we're left with the disturbing image that we are what our parents taught us, how their emotional and psychological abuse can diminish our capacity to love and to be loved as human beings. In Wade Whitehouse's case, that is the deepest, darkest definition of "Affliction."
-- David N. Butterworth dnb61@hotmail.com
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