| The
Review: |
When everything
comes to a close in "The Accused," it is not the fluid storytelling,
nor the impacting performances from its two female leads,
that have intrigued us without pause. I say this not in defamation
of these two traits: this factual courtroom drama moves at
a brisk, involving pace and features two incredible performances
from Kelly McGillis and Jodie Foster, who portrays a woman
wronged in a most terrible manner. ***
In the end,
however, it is a brutal rape scene that manages to grab our
attention, churn our stomachs, throttle our emotions, and
leave us breathless as we watch such a horrible display of
violence unequaled by much of what modern cinema has dished
up over the years. ***
The story
is that of Sarah Tobias, a middle-class hometown girl who
is seen in the beginning running out of a bar, her clothes
torn, screaming at passing cars until one of them picks her
up. The victim of a gang rape, Sarah is instantly torn apart
by emotional scars that make her bruises and cuts seem miniscule.
Foster wastes no time in portraying the victim in Sarah as
a haunted, empty soul, allowing us the opportunity to sympathize
with her immensely. ***
But then
our connection to her character becomes one of a question
of morality. The county's district attorney, Kathryn Murphy
(McGillis), takes on the case, and wastes no time in returning
to the scene of the crime so that Sarah can point out her
offenders. Once the three men responsible are in custody,
Kathryn begins questioning those who know Sarah, who divulge
information such as her excessive drinking, her use of marijuana,
and even a comment made to a friend regarding one of the rapist's
good looks before he became her worst nightmare. ***
Such revelations
pose a very broad spectrum for the characters, as well as
the audience. As we observe, listen, and gather the testimonies
of Sarah and those privy to the rape, we also must gather
our own theories and thoughts concerning her credibility as
a witness. There are several questions posed: did she perhaps
unknowingly instigate the rape? Was it even a rape at all,
or a sex show put on by someone who was unable to consciously
discern what was going on at the time? The fact that Sarah's
attributes and misgivings are laid out on the table is a big
plus, allowing us a chance to really think about the events
at hand on a more involving level. ***
Foster excels
in her role, managing to evoke a sense of sympathy as well
as detachment from the audience. Just as she is able to portray
Sarah after the initial attack as a victim, she is also able
to realistically play out all of her character's strengths
and weaknesses in a fashion that gives us a deeper understanding
of who she is, as well as who she was. ***
McGillis,
as the somewhat unfeeling attorney who gets a shot in the
arm of redemption once she realizes that merely settling for
a sloppy deal isn't the answer, has great conviction and skill
in making her character more than just another cliche. Once
she decides that getting the rapists off with five-year sentences
is a slap in the face to her client, she decides to take on
the men who were spectators to the crime, mainly those who
cheered and goaded the attackers on. More characters come
into play, and more is revealed about what happened, leading
up to the aforementioned rape sequence that is brutal, unabashedly
realistic, and completely enthralling in its relation of the
horrors of such an act. ***
Such a scene
manages to grab us by the throat and shake us into the reality
of the film, giving us the feeling as well as the knowledge
of what happened that night. "The Accused" was able to keep
me involved well enough until this point, but once the flashback
begins, there's no taking your eyes away. This scene, in addition
to the true-to-life performers and solid script, make this
film one of the most realistic and memorable films to be based
on actual events. --
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