Cyclonus
09-27-2002, 02:22 AM
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Director: Brian DePalma
Cast: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz
Screenwriter: Brian DePalma
Producer: George Litto
A Filmways Pictures release
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005K3NU.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg
Brian DePalma's infamous Dressed to Kill is a triumph of film technique over content. When one looks at the story in a dispassionate manner, it's obvious how absurd everything is. Yet, it works better than it has any right to, due to directorial flair. The legendary elevator scene is still potent after more than twenty years. Employing slow motion, close-ups, and careful editing, what could have been a standard "slasher" scene is transformed into a tour de force of terror. This segment alone is worth the price of admission, and actually rivals the shower scene from Hitchcock's Psycho.
Also of notice is the sequence of events leading up to the killing. The museum chase, in which Dickinson pursues a handsome stranger, is pure visual cinema, telling the story with little dialouge. I also admired the use of split-screen in certain scenes. It's a sorely underused device in modern cinema; this film reminds us that movies are a visual medium, despite their literary roots.
From an acting standpoint, both Dickinson and Allen are solid as flawed but strong women who evoke our sympathy, although we might not approve of their actions. Caine is good as a psychologist who may be hiding one of his patients, responsible for the murder. However, Gordon's nerdy character is unconvincing, and Franz's Detective Marino is little more than a shallow caricature.
It is impossible to discuss the film without recalling the intense controversity that met its original release. Vilified by feminist groups, DePalma has often been accussed of being a misogynist. I must question the validy of this argument. If that were the case, I think he would have made his female characters weak and submissive; objects of scorn. Finally, I tend to agree with internet critic James Kendrick, who argues that the material was never intended to be taken seriously--although too many people did just that.
Judging it purely based on craftmanship, Dressed to Kill is not a masterpiece. It's unevenly paced, and the dialouge could have used some tweaking. Still, there are enough good moments to make it worthwhile.
7/10
Director: Brian DePalma
Cast: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz
Screenwriter: Brian DePalma
Producer: George Litto
A Filmways Pictures release
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005K3NU.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg
Brian DePalma's infamous Dressed to Kill is a triumph of film technique over content. When one looks at the story in a dispassionate manner, it's obvious how absurd everything is. Yet, it works better than it has any right to, due to directorial flair. The legendary elevator scene is still potent after more than twenty years. Employing slow motion, close-ups, and careful editing, what could have been a standard "slasher" scene is transformed into a tour de force of terror. This segment alone is worth the price of admission, and actually rivals the shower scene from Hitchcock's Psycho.
Also of notice is the sequence of events leading up to the killing. The museum chase, in which Dickinson pursues a handsome stranger, is pure visual cinema, telling the story with little dialouge. I also admired the use of split-screen in certain scenes. It's a sorely underused device in modern cinema; this film reminds us that movies are a visual medium, despite their literary roots.
From an acting standpoint, both Dickinson and Allen are solid as flawed but strong women who evoke our sympathy, although we might not approve of their actions. Caine is good as a psychologist who may be hiding one of his patients, responsible for the murder. However, Gordon's nerdy character is unconvincing, and Franz's Detective Marino is little more than a shallow caricature.
It is impossible to discuss the film without recalling the intense controversity that met its original release. Vilified by feminist groups, DePalma has often been accussed of being a misogynist. I must question the validy of this argument. If that were the case, I think he would have made his female characters weak and submissive; objects of scorn. Finally, I tend to agree with internet critic James Kendrick, who argues that the material was never intended to be taken seriously--although too many people did just that.
Judging it purely based on craftmanship, Dressed to Kill is not a masterpiece. It's unevenly paced, and the dialouge could have used some tweaking. Still, there are enough good moments to make it worthwhile.
7/10