SOMMERSBY
A film review by Gregory N. Bond
Copyright 1993 Gregory N. Bond
(This has just opened in Australia - it may be old news for the rest of you.)
This film is basically a reworking of the film THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE which in turn taken from the book THE WIFE OF MARTIN GUERRE, which in turn is a dramatisation of real court records dating from the French 100 years war around A. D. 1350. Rather than set in medieval France, the setting is the southern United States just after the end of the United States Civil War. John Sommersby (Gere), an apparently cruel and cold man and the richest man in the local area, has gone off to the war. He has been missing six years, and, just as his wife (Foster) is preparing to remarry, a man who may or may not be her husband returns to claim his wife, his property and the loyalty of the local town. He has obviously been changed by four years in a prison camp; his wife finds the new Mr. Sommersby a much more attractive person and falls in love with him in a way she never had before he went to war. The film climaxes in a court case where Sommersby is charged with a murder committed some time earlier. Should he be proved to *not* be Sommersby he would get off, otherwise he will hang. Is he really Sommersby? Would he pretend not to be in order to get off? Will he prove he is and die?
This film is in large part a story of the (re-)discovered romance between Foster and Gere. The crux of the film is the uncertainty around the identity of Gere's character. Both leads handle the strong ambiguity in the relationship well, and the developing affection is well told. The audience is not absolutely certain whether Gere is or is not the actual Sommersby until the end (although the hints are pretty obvious). It is this ambiguity that gives the film its power and appeal. The final court case, where the questions of loyalty, love, betrayal and identity are exposed, is powerfully moving.
Acting from the supporting cast is excellent, including James Earl Jones as the judge in the climactic court case. Gere, despite his reputation, succeeds in conveying the pain, the turmoil and the ambiguity. We the audience really feel for his character and understand his motives in the final scenes (quite unexpected from Hollywood, and potentially very unconvincing). Foster is brilliant in conveying the love, the doubt, the faith. Also very impressive is the photography - the landscapes, the scenery is spectacular. Go and see it on the wide screen; much of the impact will be lost on the video.
One thing that was definitely surprising was the audience reaction. One of the witnesses in the court case is a true son of the south and a "nigger-hater." He insults the (black) judge and gets sixty days in "our sadly uncomfortable correctional facility." At that point, the whole audience cheered and clapped. Obviously, we're all very Politically Correct.
Rating: On a scale of 1-10, I give it a B+. Go and see it on the wide screen.
[Spoilers follow]
Unlike (I believe) the original story, where the real Guerre turns up in the court case and it all ends in an anticlimax, the real Sommersby is dead (buried during the opening credits), and the imposter admits it to his wife. This is after he has proved to the judge that he is the real Sommersby, and been sentenced to hang. And, bugger me dead, he is actually hung. This came as a bit of a shock, as I expected the usual Hollywood happy-ever-after ending, and was (in the back of my mind) considering how they might get out of the developing situation. To the credit of the director (British, not American!), he stuck to the artistically correct ending and wasn't pressured into diluting it, and the film is much more powerful because of it. And despite expectations, the end is actually quite uplifting, thanks in no small part to the strength of Gere's acting in portraying the noble nature of a liar and cheat grappling with honesty and love for the first time.
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Gregory Bond
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