The direction here is even more assured than in The Abyss, with a striking use of detailed set decoration – the use of a mirror placed in the centre of the shot to open up an off-screen space; and the symbolic application of wall paintings (a dancer’s legs when the wastrel son is phoning his cronies; a more formal 17th century couple when he’s set up home with the moneylender’s daughter). Again, it’s a cautionary tale of the downward spiral of a rich woman’s son as he seduced by the delights of the fast life (and who does his own bit of seducing in turn), but the core of the film is the relationship between the son and his proud mother, with her overplayed acting style rather unbalancing the proceedings.
by Ian Johnston | Source: 35mm print
25 Jun 2007 2:19 PM | Submit Comment