Death and the Maiden (1994)

People are voting emotionally.

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

One of the most outstanding elements about Roman Polanski's films is the tension in atmosphere and between the characters. The director has consistently succeeded in drawing the viewer by creating tension. Moreover, his use of dark themes and the lesser known add further appeal. After all, who isn't curious about the dark? Polanski also makes full use of what he's got, starting from the cast to the most basic of props. 95% of 'Death and the Maiden' was shot consecutively (in accordance with the script) which couldn't have been an easy thing to do if time and money are constraints. The film only has three actors and each one performs superbly. Ben Kingsley's disturbing and chilling portrayal of a sleazy sadistic doctor lingers in mind. Stuart Wilson is brilliant as the ambivalent lawyer torn between his beliefs. This is also a pleasant turn from the villainous characters he's more famous for. Sigourney Weaver is spellbinding as the former prisoner who finally gets the opportunity to seek her own justice. Polanski tactfully brings forth political and psychological issues without preaching to the audience.some minor flawed issues were the lighting. I felt it was too strong in places (where the only source of light was candles). It looks like there was some poor green screen filtering in a few of the outdoor scenes even though I don't think a green screen was used. However, these faults are too minor when viewing the film as a whole.'Death and the Maiden'is a simple but engaging and haunting story told through the perspective of three complex characters. It's one of Polanski's finest.

A political activist (Sigourney Weaver) is convinced that her guest (Ben Kingsley) is a man who once tortured her for the government.Sigourney Weaver topless, not something I ever needed to see. She plays a nut case and I hate her even more than usual in this film. The worst torture I can imagine is having Weaver's used panties stuffed in my mouth. Also, her acting is really, really, really bad. Her casting took this film from a potential success to a steaming pile of horse apples.This was directed by Roman Polanski, whose experience with the Holocaust makes the topic of human rights a personal matter.In the background is a human rights commission to examine torture and murder between 1975-1980 with Weaver's husband as the head and her as a skeptic, thinking the whole thing is a "whitewash". She works, inadvertently, to sabotage it."You can never entirely possess the female soul." This quote appears, attributed to Nietzsche. What is its significance?

A woman seeks revenge from a man she recognizes as a government official who tortured and raped her years ago for her political views. Based on a play, the setting could have been post-WWII Germany with a Jewish woman going against her Nazi persecutor. However, it is set in an unnamed South American country. There are only three characters and most of the action takes place on a single set, but Polanski manages to sustain the tension throughout. Weaver is convincing as the vengeful woman. Wilson and Kingsley are fine as her husband and the man she accuses of war crimes, respectively. The title comes from Schubert's 14th string quartet, which was played every time Weaver was raped.

Hovering between giving this 9 or 10 out of ten, I quickly decided on the latter. If it's a perfect film, then a perfect score is surely appropriate. Three things have kept me from viewing this in the past, despite a great regard for the director's work going back forty years. One was the subject matter and the prospect of watching or listen tell of harrowing torture scenes. But the other two are the two leads. For some reason I have never taken to the work of Sigourney Weaver, I think maybe she appeared over rated for her role in Alien and never quite settled into much else. Ben Kingsley, I have felt also had a slightly over inflated view of himself and always had some problem with accents. Anyway, putty my pettiness behind me I watched a nail biting, thoroughly engrossing and exciting and thoughtful film. Beautifully paced and wonderfully performed by all concerned (except maybe for Kingsley's accent!) this is a must see piece of cinema. Not a wasted frame and just the right mix of action and dialogue allows the latter to shine as it deserves.