Monday, September 20, 2004
Appreciating a Murderer
Hello! Before I explain the title, I want to say that the NFL is upon us. I haven't said much about this, but I love professional football! From Sunday morning to Tuesday morning, my life pivots on the viewing (TV), listening (radio), and reading (internet) about the NFL. Even on a day like yesterday (Week 2), where there were few good matchups, nothing beats watching a game. I like football so much that I have 4 favorite teams... and all of them lost yesterday. How sad is that? My absolute favorites are the Denver Broncos, and they had a bad day (a missed FG and a late fumble sealed their doom). Their team looks promising, so my season is filled with hope. As for my Browns, Texans, and Packers... well, they stink.
Anyway, on to the blog. As many of you know, I am sort of a movie buff. I don't see a lot of new movies, but I am obsessive about the few that I buy on DVD. The movies that I own I have seen many times. I like to appreciate the movies for more than just a 2 hour story; I try to see the art and message beyond the superficial actions and words.
For this reason, I have always enjoyed movies that feature no "good guys." You may know the sort of movie I am talking about. There are many movies where there are no characters that have good intentions, pure morals, or even proper attitudes. In such movies, it is fun to see who people root for.
One such movie is "A Perfect Murder." I hesitated seeing this movie, because it is a remake of Hitchcock's classic "Dial M for Murder," and remakes typically disappoint. But this movie is well acted and well filmed. Michael Douglas, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortenson all play their parts perfectly.
In it, a rich, self-absorbed businessman discovers that his equally selfish wife is cheating on him with a con-man. The husband exposes the con-man, and blackmails him into killing the wife. The man plans the perfect murder; but in true Hitchcock style, everything falls apart when the attempt fails.
I always enjoy watching this movie with people to see who they root for. Do they side with the heartless, calculating husband? Maybe they see the wife as a victim, and side with her (even though she is unapologetic in her cheating). Some may even think that the con-man is a hero, as he is sensitive and romantic.
I myself side with the husband. It is fun to escape morality's clutches when watching a movie, and carry out our feelings to the extreme conclusions. The husband loves the wife, but is so self-absorbed he fails to pay attention to her. But she still is the "crown-jewel" of his life. He is more injured by the fact that she continues to hide and lie. And in true betrayed-husband form, he externalizes this anger towards her lover. Unlike real life, his decision to create a murder plot seems a classic turnabout on her crime.
The funny thing is, in this Hollywood remake we are to empathize with the woman. Somehow the "sin" gradient flows like this: Murder, lying to a woman, THEN cheating on your marriage partner. The wife is portrayed as someone savvy and suave, and who has the right to do what she needs to enjoy her life. We are supposed to feel bad for her that the lover she thought she took on has tricked her. We are supposed to hate her husband for his rage when he figures out what is going on. And we are supposed to be horrified when the murder plan begins to unfold. Somehow the camera leads us to take a side, her side, and to see the events with her feelings in mind. For some of us, this subjective slant draws us even further into the plot; rooting against all hope for the (relative) villain.
Like I said, it is interesting to see what sides are taken in movies like this. Afterall, some of us were rooting for the iceberg in Titanic...
See ya!
Anyway, on to the blog. As many of you know, I am sort of a movie buff. I don't see a lot of new movies, but I am obsessive about the few that I buy on DVD. The movies that I own I have seen many times. I like to appreciate the movies for more than just a 2 hour story; I try to see the art and message beyond the superficial actions and words.
For this reason, I have always enjoyed movies that feature no "good guys." You may know the sort of movie I am talking about. There are many movies where there are no characters that have good intentions, pure morals, or even proper attitudes. In such movies, it is fun to see who people root for.
One such movie is "A Perfect Murder." I hesitated seeing this movie, because it is a remake of Hitchcock's classic "Dial M for Murder," and remakes typically disappoint. But this movie is well acted and well filmed. Michael Douglas, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortenson all play their parts perfectly.
In it, a rich, self-absorbed businessman discovers that his equally selfish wife is cheating on him with a con-man. The husband exposes the con-man, and blackmails him into killing the wife. The man plans the perfect murder; but in true Hitchcock style, everything falls apart when the attempt fails.
I always enjoy watching this movie with people to see who they root for. Do they side with the heartless, calculating husband? Maybe they see the wife as a victim, and side with her (even though she is unapologetic in her cheating). Some may even think that the con-man is a hero, as he is sensitive and romantic.
I myself side with the husband. It is fun to escape morality's clutches when watching a movie, and carry out our feelings to the extreme conclusions. The husband loves the wife, but is so self-absorbed he fails to pay attention to her. But she still is the "crown-jewel" of his life. He is more injured by the fact that she continues to hide and lie. And in true betrayed-husband form, he externalizes this anger towards her lover. Unlike real life, his decision to create a murder plot seems a classic turnabout on her crime.
The funny thing is, in this Hollywood remake we are to empathize with the woman. Somehow the "sin" gradient flows like this: Murder, lying to a woman, THEN cheating on your marriage partner. The wife is portrayed as someone savvy and suave, and who has the right to do what she needs to enjoy her life. We are supposed to feel bad for her that the lover she thought she took on has tricked her. We are supposed to hate her husband for his rage when he figures out what is going on. And we are supposed to be horrified when the murder plan begins to unfold. Somehow the camera leads us to take a side, her side, and to see the events with her feelings in mind. For some of us, this subjective slant draws us even further into the plot; rooting against all hope for the (relative) villain.
Like I said, it is interesting to see what sides are taken in movies like this. Afterall, some of us were rooting for the iceberg in Titanic...
See ya!
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