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Death and the Maiden

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This 1994 film was adapted from a play by Argentinean playwright Ariel Dorfman and was directed by Roman Polanski. Set in an unnamed South American country, three people are thrown together in an isolated house on a dark and stormy night. The woman, played by Sigourney Weaver is clearly troubled and sad. Her husband, played by Stuart Wilson, is late for dinner. Turns out he had a flat tire and a stranger helped him out. That stranger, who is a doctor, played by Ben Kingsley, soon befriends the husband. The woman thinks the stranger is the man who tortured her while she was a political prisoner many years before.

There is a new kinder and gentler government now, which is investigating atrocities from the past. The woman's husband is in charge of the investigation, which is basically focused on identifying bodies and is giving amnesty to many of the worst criminals. Naturally this complicates the situation.

What follows is not a simple story though because, throughout, questions are raised that have no easy answers. Is the doctor really the torturer or an innocent man? After all, it all happened at least ten or more years in the past and the woman has never actually seen her torturer's face as she had been blindfolded the whole time. The doctor declares his innocence. At times, he's even charming. But she has tied him up and is determined to get a confession out of him.

There are many interwoven themes. The basic one is wondering if the doctor is, indeed, the right man. But then there is the relationship between the husband and the wife. We discover he and his wife were both members of the revolution but only she was caught and tortured. He has been trying to make that up to her for their whole marriage. We also get to hear a lot about the details of the torture. It is chilling and disturbing and, even though the only violence in the film is against the suspect who is tied up, the woman's prison experience, which is only talked about and not shown, is excruciatingly painful to hear about.

There are other questions raised too. What happens to a society when it gives someone power over a helpless person? Now, we see the woman with power over the tied-up doctor. And we are forced to think about how this kind of power corrupts a whole society. This is a concept that is universal, as fresh today as it has always been. And the director certainly knows how to bring it out. All of the actors were sensational. I soon forgot they were performing and was completely swept into the story. I could feel the pain of all three characters as well as the horror of the electric shocks of the past.

The title comes from a string quartet by Franz Schubert called Death and the Maiden. This piece of music had been played during the woman's torture. She has found a tape of it in the doctor's car and plays it throughout. It helps to frame the action, right down to the film's excellent and satisfying conclusion.

I was surprised to discover that this film had won no significant awards and got little recognition when it was released. It wasn't even given a high rating from the critics. That's too bad. I think that it is an important film. I'm glad I discovered it though. It's sad and serious and ultimately meaningful on many levels. And I give it my very highest recommendation.

This film is an utter masterpiece! Let's start with the plot- written by, and adapted from his own play by, Ariel Dorfman, the screenplay is wrought with twists and guilt and fear in almost every breath. Some find it a bit "stagy" but i couldn't see any of it! The direction- is wonderfully full of suspence, yet can be quite tender at times. Polanski knows his subject, knows what he's doing. The music- yes- the music! Written by Wojciech Kilar, who scored "Bram Stoker's Dracula", the music is very simple, yet extremely effective, and often moving. And finally- the acting- Stuart Wilson is very believable as Gerardo, and pulls off the feelings of guilt and anger very well. Ben Kingsley is startlingly acute in his performance as Miranda. He never allows any bias to enter his performance, so you are left guessing to the very end. And, of course, Sigourney Weaver. Who is simply AMAZING!! I knew she was a great actress, but she surpassed herself in this. The torture she goes through; the brief feelings of doubt, and then the dawning that this IS the man she wants. At least that's what she believes. This performance is so powerfull, so tender, so angry and so painfull, that if this were a bigger, studio film, Weaver would have finally walked off with an acadamy award. But, alas, the big studios cannot bring themselves to make movies that have so many strengths and so much to say. See this film. Learn and be amazed at the human beings it portrays. Do you recognise yourself in one of the characters?

a nameless South American country. During the reign of a recently deposed dictatorship, she had been tortured and raped. Gerardo (Stuart Wilson), her husband, has been appointed to head a commission that will investigate the atrocities of the previous regime, but they are looking at only those cases that resulted in death. Being raped and tortured is not enough to receive justice. But then one day, Fate intervenes. Gerardo is given a ride home by a stranger, Robert Miranda (Ben Kingsley), a local doctor. Suddenly, in her own home, Paullina, who had been blindfolded during her torture, recognizes the voice of her main torturer. Instantly, Paulina knows it is time for payback. She ties up Miranda, stuffs her panties in his mouth, and begins a long attempt to make him confess.

"Death and the Maiden" tries to play up the ambiguities of Miranda's character. After all, perhaps Paulina is mistaken. But Robert Polanski is directing this film, adapted from Ariel Dorman's stage play, and the director's voyeuristic instincts are not going to work in a story that leaves room for doubt. As an audience we are caught up not only in what Paulina is doing to strip away Miranda's mask, but in the revelations of what happened to her in the past. But what is past is prologue, and it is the way Paulina strips away the layers from her tormenter, turning the lies into denials before finally giving way to the truth, that makes this film more than a sadomasochistic story. This is because however stagy and contrived the script might be, the performances by Weaver and Kinglsey elevate the story. When you finish watching this film you wonder what besides some stupid concert for political correctness kept these two from being nominated for Oscars. Quite simply, Weaver and Kinglsey have never been better. At the end, the reason why an ordinary man turned into such an evil fiend will chill you. This is much more than a simple exercise in revenge. Be warned: watching this film will drain you.

The story of a torture victim of no small amount of character who believes she recognises her torturer and sets out to confront him. To add to the depth of the plot her husband is a lawyer working for the government and appointee to a commission to investigate the allegations of torture being voiced by people like his wife. Sigourney Weaver plays the troubled woman coming to terms with trauma while her husband and her captor face the truth. Taking place over a single evening at a remote country house this film steps around the prevarications and bureaucracy of officialdom. Adapted from a play and set in unspecified country, the victims view of justice is thoroughly explored. Torture is not an easy subject to tell about and the story makes clear what crimes were committed so it contains strong descriptions. This film gives a deep meaning to closure.

Sigourney Weaver plays a woman who was tortured by a doctor who worked for a fascist regime. They had control of an unnamed country in South America. Her husband was taken home by this man when his car got a flat. She recognized his voice and when he returned later in the evening she ties him up hoping to get a confession out of him.

This is an incredibly suspenseful story. I was intending to put it on pause to get something to eat but I got too involved in the movie. There is only three people in this film and two scene places, the house and their property. But despite the minimalism it's a riveting plot. If you watch it, I doubt if you will be disappointed.

Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden," has a main a plot point that would cause most films to fail. A character is confronted with something; They claim they're innocent and the rest of the movie deals with deciding whether they are or they aren't. Usually, if they are guilty...It's not a big surprise. If they're innocent, there was no point in the movie at all. Despite this, this movie works perfectly...With much credit due to the three actors who carrey the movie. Sigourney Weaver ('Galaxy Quest'), Ben Kingsley ('Sexy Beast'), and Stuart Wilson are the actors who are onscreen for 99% of the movie and this movie is powerful and entertaining. Weaver plays Paulina Escobar, a woman who's somewhere in South America in a small shack waiting for her husband to return. On the radio she hears that her husband has just been elected to a committee run by the president of South America. She apparently disapproves. Her husband soon gets home, but minus his car; He had a blowout miles away and a man has given him a ride. After the husband Geraldo (Wilson) and Paulina chat for a bit, she goes to bed. Then the man that gave Geraldo the ride suddenly reappears. The man introduces himself as Dr. Roberto Miranda (Kingsley) and proclaims himself a big fan of Geraldo's. As the two men have a drink and talk in the living room, we see Paulina in the bedroom getting agitated. Eventually, she sneaks out of the house and steals Dr. Miranda's car. Not worrying about it, Geraldo and Dr. Miranda both go to sleep; But Paulina soon returns and ties Miranda to a chair. 15 years ago Paulina was raped, kidnapped, and tortured by a man that she claims is Miranda. She was blindfolded, so all she bases this on is his voice. Her husband doesn't immediately believe her, and really, neither does the audience. It's clear the woman is a bit off. But unlike most movies like this, we actually can't decide if the doctor is guilty or not guilty. I admire the film's ending for not throwing in some heroic cliches. Anyway, Polanski is really good at pacing. Because almost this entire movie is pacing. But, in the end "Death and the Maiden" is suspenseful, well-directed, and completely well acted. A fantastic movie.

GRADE: A-

It's more than a bit ironic to note that Death and the Maiden, arguably the most compassionately told film dealing with the long-term psychological effects of rape since Ida Lupino's Outrage in 1950, is directed by Roman Polanski, himself a confessed rapist. Is this movie, made almost two decades after his fleeing America to avoid prosecution, meant to be some sort of an attempt at penance? Regardless of it's intent, the resulting film is clearly Polanski's most personal to date (at least until 2002's The Pianist), and a return to form after a long stretch of sketchy output.

Having helped to shape some of the best female performances of the last half century (Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby to name a few), Polanski continues to cement his reputation as an actor's director, this time showcasing Sigourney Weaver (who's ever been a stronger screen presence than she is here). An actor of remarkable versatility, she's finally given a role that's both deserving of her talents and doesn't include aliens. And unlike her previous career-high (Gorillas in the Mist), she's allowed to fully embody the character without the disadvantage of having a director and a script that condescends to her.

Starring as Paulina Escobar, a former member of a leftist resistance group in an unnamed South American country, the film finds her married to an inept, idealistic lawyer (Stuart Wilson) who has only a vague understanding of the skeletons in her closet. That is until one night when, waiting for him to return from a meeting with the newly appointed President, he's dropped off by a stranger who's voice sounds eerily familiar. He explains to her that he'd had a flat tire and man had given him a lift home, so she seems to drop it. They quarrel briefly, make love, then are interrupted in the middle of the night by a knock at the door.

It's the stranger (Ben Kingsley, playing to or against type, depending on who you believe) come to drop off a new tire, an act of curious generosity given that the two men barely know eachother. After a few awkward moments, he's invited in for a nightcap and begins asking oddly probing questions. It turns out that Gerardo (Wilson) is heading the prosecution of those guilty of torture under the previous regime and is anxious for a sympathetic ear. That's just what Dr. Miranda (Kingsley) offers him, and it's during this Q and A session that Paulina begins to suspect that she may have finally found her tormentor.

What ensues from there is a psychological game of cat and mouse that's as tense as anything Polanski's ever done, as Paulina bounds and gags the doctor while attempting to coax a confession from him, though his guilt or innocence is left unresolved until the bitter end. It's here that the casting proves so vital. After all, can the man who played Gandhi really be guilty of such insidious crimes? I won't give away the ending, but rest assured it's one not soon to be forgotten, and allows Kingsley one of the best scenes of his career.

All three actors have great moments for that matter. A favorite of mine is when Kingsley, begging to be freed from his bounds after briefly incompasitating Paulina, says to Gerardo, "You did nothing. You just stood there." And Weaver responds, "Of course he just stood there. He's the law." It's these small, seemingly insignificant scenes that reveal the film's subtle nuances and make it a must-see.

Death And The Maiden is an overlooked masterpiece and it's not hard to understand why. First is the dark, serious, and intellectually challenging subject matter which prompts viewers to consider important questions that may ultimately have no satisfactory answers at all. Second is the format itself. Death And The Maiden was originally a play, and it shows. Three characters, frozen in an unholy dynamic, confront their various demons in a small, remote house. Interaction between them is talky and claustrophobic; the lack of distraction is part of the point. (Viewers who rely on flaming helicopters, silicon-injected bosoms spilling from bikinis, or artificially sweet deus ex machina happy endings, are advised to look elsewhere.)

Third, of course, is the baggage carried by its director, Roman Polanski. Had Death And The Maiden been made by someone else it would almost certainly have secured at least one Oscar nomination, if not for Ben Kingsley, surely for Sigourney Weaver. I will not defend Polanski, indeed, it is highly ironic that a film that deals so brilliantly with the idea of torture, specifically rape as a torture technique, would be the product of a man convicted of raping a 13-year old girl. Those quick to condemn Polanski conveniently forget that he has demons of his own, having endured the slaughter of his wife, Sharon Tate, and unborn child, at the hands of the Manson family. This provides context only, not an excuse. It is also quickly forgotten that Polanski's talent puts him in the category with Kubrick; Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, Death And The Maiden, and The Pianist all bear witness to his incredible gifts.

Amazingly enough, the film's plot is incredibly simple. Either Kingsley's Dr. Miranda is the man who brutally tortured Weaver's Paulina Escobar or he isn't, by the film's end you know. Arriving at the truth requires stripping away layer after layer of protective veneer, a raw, spellbinding struggle. Both Weaver and Kingsley are at the top of their game and the chemistry between them is electrifying. Paulina's husband, played by Stuart Wilson, is the everyman, he is us, we feel his sympathies wavering as he wonders whether his wife is insane or correct. Weaver is not a sympathetic victim - her Paulina is unhinged, cruel, shrill, and unreasonable. (Then again, if she's right, wouldn't this be appropriate?) Kingsley's Dr. Miranda, by contrast, is hardly our picture of a torturer. He is intelligent, soft-spoken, affable, charming at times, and almost disarmingly reasonable; the scenes where he is drinking with the husband and "bonding," talking about how difficult women can be, are chilling.

The engine driving this film is our desire to know if Dr. Miranda is guilty - but that is not really the point. The payload here is the moral price of this most savage and brutal of all human power relationships, the toll it takes, and the correct response. Weaver's performance is so well shaped that we see the damage, we see how brittle she is, and we cheer her rage, a dark part of us would help her pull the trigger. That's why this is such a great movie, we see that part of ourselves, then we question it. Would it be just? Would it even help anything? What if she's wrong? What if she's right, but Dr. Miranda is now a reformed man who feels profound shame about what he did? Does that matter? Assuming Dr. Miranda is guilty, was he pushed to these hideous extremes by devotion to some higher goal, which justified them in his mind? Is this ever excusable? (Would we torture a terrorist to extract information that might save thousands?)

Don't think that this movie is like a philosophy class, it isn't, it offers a kind of hypnotic entertainment that will galvanize you. As you become absorbed by this haunting, tiny drama, you and your own conceptions of morality will become another character in it. Death And The Maiden is a film for adults; a real keeper.

I have to say, writing this from my POV does not come easy. And given that it has been some time since the last entry, probably nobody will ever read this.

Much like a being a prisoner in a cell with a tiny window that has no glass.

I watched this in the company of a trained psychiatrist, specializing in Post Traumatic Stress. I have worked in hospitals with rape victim wards. I have worked with rape victims in the Martial Arts. And I personally knew people who experienced torture in Chile under Pinochet and who were fleeing for their lives even as most Americans knew nothing of the "disappearances". And I have worked with many SA torture victims in writer's workshops. So I guess I have to say the film certainly did not bore me.

From experience I can say the language and dialogue is spot on. Anyone who doubts can dip into the Gulag Archapelago, easily obtainable at Amazon.com. You, like me, probably will not be able to finish reading the entire thing, however.

My companion's viewpoint is that Sigourney has managed to come out ahead of a lot of people put in the situation of the character she portrays. Yes, she is right. Yes, she is wrong, in another sense. Yes she is mentally ill, but she is well above the rest in coping behaviors. Her actions are entirely believable for an individual and entirely believable in a general social context. That phrase will never ever leave me: "In here, I am in control! You do what I say!" That is entirely classic, no matter what country, no matter what language used.

This is an uncomfortable film and not intended for an evening of light entertainment. There is, from personal observation, this sense of a "tape" of memories that keeps getting played over and over and which the victim cannot -- and ultimately will not -- break or erase so as to start all over again. There is no resolution, really, except just getting on with life. No justice can bring relief although the illusion of justice doing so remains.

The film is troubling, but very real, in that no answers are given for the individual or for society. As Kingley's character says, "If I am innocent, you kill me! If I am guilty, you kill me! What difference does it make?!"

About the only thing in the script I would fault (skip this par. if you have not seen the movie) is the final confession, for -- again by personal experience -- the torturer never really admits any weakness, but insistently presses upon the necessity of his actions as a consequence of superiority. Yes, I have met the other side as well. I would hope no one here ever ever meets the kind of people I have met, but you can read Eichmann's testimony from the Nurnberg trials and see what I mean.

In any case, I would note the differences between opinions expressed in this space seem divided largely along lines of experience. Like many political issues. Either you have really been there or not.

At this late stage, I would echo my companion's thoughts that the main thing to gather here is that Ms. Weaver portrays a character who still possesses the ability to feel something, as expressed in her love for her husband. I guess I have to say that this possibility -- given that torture shows no sign of coming to an end and we have many many victims yet still alive among us -- is the light of a distant star, giving some hope to others. Since the Academy has turned its back on Weaver -- unjustly more than once, as previous commentators have noted -- perhaps the film can be used in a therapeutic venue.

Pinochet, as of this date, is well over 80 years old and in poor health. Only now are they coming to bring those criminals to the courts in Chile, with some sympathetic help from Spain. But most of them will be dead of old age long before they face any real trial. Relief must be found elsewhere and other than turning yourself into the monster that made you.

Peace.

why the heck is sigourney so underrated,after seeing this the woman deserves more awards than ever.this film is a treat i confess i rented it purely because sigourney was in it(but isnt that what movie stars are for to sell a movie)but what a surprise,gripping enthralling,disturbing?what a range of emotions one feels when watching this film.superbly played(weaver denied an oscar once again)superbly directed and a genuine effect on the viewer,well it made me think anyway,why more people dont know this film is beyond me,excellent 5 out of 5 see it and be impressed,disturbed,moved,and wonder why sigourney weaver one of americas consistently excellent astresses is looked over for awards,ponder on that!