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Reviews
Delusion (1991)
One of the greatest dramas ever put on film
A film is adequate when it entertains. It is good if you want to watch it more than once. And a great movie is one that creates unforgettable characters and a story that leaves you with the feeling that, at some level, you have been transformed by it.
"Delusion" goes even farther. Even as the story begins, it manages to give the viewer an ominous sense of impending danger. The plot unfolds quickly, taking a yuppie-ish embezzler named George O'Brien (played to perfection by Jim Metzler) on a lonely stretch of highway leading from Southern California to Reno, Nevada. There he encounters a luckless couple who have wrecked their car. Agreeing to give them a ride to the next town, O'Brien soon realizes that he is in bad company.
The way in which the personalities of the two riders are unveiled shows the true genius of this film. The pair consists of Chevy, a totally ruthless sociopath and hired gun (Kyle Secor) and Patty, a troubled Las Vegas showgirl and part-time prostitute (Jennifer Rubin). Every word, every gesture, every visual image and facial expression in this film is carefully nuanced to give depth to these mysterious and threatening characters.
Secor's Chevy is at once pretentious, arrogant and vulnerable, a genuinely intriguing and complex villain. But Rubin as Patty is even more of an enigma.
A tragic background is hinted in Patty's chilling reaction to violence. She comes across as vulgar in a sensuous way, intelligent but ill-bred, the consummate wounded survivor of a hard life. Yet, on a different level, she shows courage and cleverness. Rubin is absolutely amazing in this role. She brings uncommon realism to that "girl from the wrong side of the tracks" who finds herself in an abusive and shallow relationship but never succumbs to it. Her life is clearly shaped by lack of options, yet when faced with choices, she responds in surprising but entirely believable fashion.
This film could never have developed its remarkable depth without the breathtakingly surreal scenery of Death Valley and the awesome emptiness in which the story unfolds. The spectacular beauty of the location and its eerie remoteness are the perfect backdrop for a film that is, at is core, a harrowing, entrancing tale about society's misfits.
Over the years, "Delusion" has developed a well-deserved cult following. It is a shame that this film has not yet been made available on DVD. From start to finish, it never veers off track, never misses a beat. It is plausible and intelligent and utterly mesmerizing. They just don't make them any better than this.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
A memorable, tragic story with roots in reality
"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is such a fascinating film that it made worthwhile a little research into the dance marathon craze of the 1920s and early 1930s. According to the DVD extra, the set was modeled on the old Aragon Ballroom, built in the 1920s on the Lick Pier at Santa Monica, California. The once-elegant ballroom had grown seedy by the early 1950s, at which time it enjoyed a brief revival as the location of early Lawrence Welk show broadcasts. In the 1960s, the Aragon was again revamped under a different name as a short-lived rock concert venue - with appearances by Alice Cooper (is his pre-Cooper days) and Jim Morrison of the Doors. It was destroyed by fire shortly afterward.
Marathon dancing was, according to most historians, as brutal and exploitive as it is depicted in "Horses." It was for that reason that this early 20th century variety of Roman coliseum culture was banned in much of the country by the late 1930s.
This movie uses fictitious characters to tell a story that appears to be remarkably accurate from a historical point of view. Jane Fonda's ultra-cynical, sharp-tongued character, Gloria, along with ruthless manager/promoter Rocky (played by Gig Young), contrast perfectly with the eerily-resigned and unpretentious Robert (Michael Serrazin). The casting and dialogue are brilliant. The visual effects are haunting.
This film is not for everyone. But for those interested in the social pathology that allows human suffering to become a form of amusement, the malicious ill-treatment of the poor, or the harsh realities of the depression era, this is multifaceted cinema that can be watched again and again, each time yielding new subtleties. It is a morbidly fascinating character study that reflects a truly desperate time.
For those watching on DVD, it is advisable to see the short background feature before the movie in order to fully appreciate its context. The movie is unforgettable, a true classic.