Oleanna (1994) I re-watched this film with jaw agape. Couldn't believe it was 28 years old.
This unfolds like it could have just come out this week.
Written and directed by renowned playwright-screenwriter David Mamet, it's his own film version of his two character play.
Not only does it unfold like Mamet literally ripped it from the headlines of the last few years, it's still purposely designed to set off fiery opinions from any audience that views it.
You could argue about what side of the issues raised here Mamet falls on, (and which of the two people here he sides with). But the looking at the film in its totality, I thought it concludes like the end of a nuclear war exchange.
Scorched earth. No prisoners. Ruination for the combatants.
John (William H. Macy) is a pedantic college professor clearly in love with his own sense of entitlement and arrogant belief in his own worldview. He's on the verge of achieving tenure, so he's about to make settlement on large new house. But in the constant, impatient calls from his wife and his realtor, we know glitches in the legal paperwork may thwart the closure.
Just as he's on his way out of his office to put out that particular fire, Carol, one of his students (Debra Eisenstadt) confronts him about why she's failing his class. Simultaneously whining and accusatory, she veers from bemoaning her own stupidity to implying John's deficient in teaching her. And John who veers from pontificating to condescending, engages her point by point.
Once these actors go off and running, , the film becomes a typical David Mamet rat-a-tat duel between them. All of the conversational pauses, stutters and interruptions are well known Matet-isms and the back and forth between John and Carol play like a verbal form of jazz improvisation.
In what constitutes the film's Act 2...(or more apt, Round 2) Carol's back in the office, having filed a sexual harassment complaint against John. In the complaint, she's taken every moment of their first encounter and exaggerated it to ridiculous extremes, more than enough to ruin his chance for tenure....and his chance for that new house.
To use the current, phrasing, we realize that Carol's a woke Valkyrie and she'll settle for nothing less than John's total cancellation. During their first meeting, he made the fatal error of putting his hands on her, albeit in a non-sexual, emotional gesture and once again commits the same foolhardy nustake. Carol flees into a small group out in a hallway, carrying on as if she's been attacked.
In the film's Act 3, Carol's back yet again for one more round. John's career lies in tatters as he's about to be fired due to Carol's newly filed attempted rape accusations. Pouring gasoline on an already raging dramatic fire, Mamet unleashes a disturbing, sad finale in which both characters reveal truly toxic, monstrous sides of themselves. And it ends well for no one, and might leave an audience breaking into heated arguments that rival John and Carol's.
Before the film's over, just about every hot button issue in today's culture goes on full display (and again, keep in mind, we're talking about a 28 year old film). Class warfare, sexual warfare, harassment, cancel culture, the failures of our educational system......I think the only thing Mamet missed was climate change.
A challenging, unnerving sit, this one. But well worth anyone's time. 4 stars (****).
No comments:
Post a Comment