CHINA MOON
A film review by David Wong Shee
Copyright 1995 David Wong Shee
CHINA MOON is an important recent production in the tradition known as film noir--the cinematic manifestation of the Marlowe style detective novel. CHINA MOON reanimates the set piece stereotypes of the detective story, rendering the classical motifs of the genre flawlessly: a woman in distress who may or may not be a femme fatale; the hard bitten homicide detective; bar room conversations rich in seduction, mystery and promise; and the nesting of conspiracies within conspiracies, of games within games like that metaphorical set of Russian Dolls. These conspiracies are notably as much those of chance, accident and misfortune as they are of conspiracies of human design and intention.
The most striking thing about this movie was the uncharacteristically touching portrayal of the relationship which develops between detective Kyle Bodine (Ed Harris) and the beleaguered Rachael Monro (Madeleine Stowe). This greatly sharpens the tragic elements of the story through to the final climactic scene which unfolds in a style not unlike the closing scene of Hamlet. Similarly, in a Shakespearean mode, Rachael exhibited several qualities reminiscent of Lady Macbeth.
In general CHINA MOON achieves a accuracy of detail in the emotional landscape that was well above your average melodrama. In particular, the state of mind that might lead a battered woman in an abusive relationship to seek retribution instead of simple escape the situation were for me convincingly illustrated.
The element of film noir not strongly represented in CHINA MOON is that of a burnt out cynicism toward life and love. This is in spite of it's pain staking depiction of the destruction of a "good man" through the influence of perverse motives such as greed, envy and revenge operating in those closest to him.
I will leave the finding of fault in this film to others. My view is that this is a MUST SEE for devotees of film noir.
CREDITS
Directed by John Bailey. Starring: Charles Dance as Rupert Monro; Benicio Del Toro as Lamar Dickey; Ed Harris as Kyle Bodine; Madeleine Stowe as Rachael Monro. Cinematography by Willy Kurant. Music by George Fenton. Written by Roy Carlson.
POSTSCRIPT
Which is worse do you think, taking the movies too seriously, or taking life too seriously? What do people think the popularity of film noir says about the way late Twentieth Century people see themselves and their destiny?
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