My strongest memory
of John McNaughton's erotic thriller Wild Things (1998) goes
back to the first real house party I ever went to, at fourteen years
old. I was with a group of fourteen year old friends and we thought
we were impossibly cool. Despite this being the strongest memory I
have of the film, I do know that this was not the time of my first
viewing. It was I who, expertly, suggested that we rent this naughty
film, but the memory of experiencing it before this instance escapes
me. We all settled down to watch in the circular lounge room,
blankets covering our cold, bare legs, popcorn at the ready. Everyone
was excited that we were watching such an adult film, with such adult
themes. We pressed play with bated breath. I was the only one who
made it through more than half of the film, and even then I didn't
make it to the end before nodding off with the rest of the group. The
film finished and looped through its menu for some time. Every now
and then someone would wake for just enough time to demand someone
else turn off the DVD before falling back asleep. Eventually the film
started again. It played all one hundred and eight minutes again
before anyone had the energy to hit the off button. Over greasy food
the next day, as we were debriefing about the craziness of the
previous night, I asked everyone what they thought (from what they
were awake for, at least). The consensus was overwhelmingly negative.
This is an opinion that I will never understand.
What's not to love
about Wild Things? As an insecure fourteen year old, the
intense sexuality of the film was enough to hook me in. But as I've
grown older, and Wild Things has become an old favourite that
I continue to go back to over and over, I have discovered that
certain elements, stylistic choices and themes of the film have
informed a large part of my taste in films today; as well as certain
life choices that have drawn me to areas resembling that of the
crocodile-infested wetlands that make up the aesthetic (for instance,
researching studying abroad in Louisiana, USA: infamous for its
swamps). Most notably are the setting, score and the mood and
atmosphere.
The opening shots of
the film establish the tropical wetlands setting, the Everglades of
Southern Florida, USA. This is the only place in the USA where
crocodiles can be found, sharing the swampy area with alligators and
over three hundred and fifty species of birds. The plant life and
vegetation are overgrown and dominate the area, covering even the
river that runs through the glade. The viewer gets the sense that one
wrong step could see you swallowed whole by any number of living
things lurking above and/or below the surface. This is a place that
does not welcome human interference. The location sets up a feeling
of unease and fear. Even without knowing anything of the plot, the
Everglades have us already on edge, waiting for the trouble that we
can feel is still to come.
The plot of Wild
Things is original enough.
Police detective, Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) uncovers a conspiracy
behind a case involving a high school counsellor, Sam (Matt Dillon),
when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students.
The constant shift of alliances keeps us guessing, and Neve
Campbell's performance is convincing to the point that the revelation
of Susie as the ultimate mastermind of the whole operation is a
pleasant surprise (though one could argue that considering the amount
of red herrings present throughout the film, none of the many twists
are surprising). Had Stephen Peters' screenplay been stronger (“He
didn't have to kill
himself, Kelly!”) the film may have had a shot at being near
flawless – in this viewer's eyes, at least. The script does let the
film down, but one aspect aside from the setting that brings it back
up is George S. Clinton's original score.
A
pounding, primitive, chant-like underscore to the film that enhances
the “dog eat dog” theme that runs through the plot. It is
survival of the fittest at its most calculating. At slower, often
sexual moments, Clinton relies more on the deep coo of a female
vocalist, aided by only a hint of orchestral accompaniment. These
moments are intimate. There is no grand-scale, romantic soundtrack
for the viewer to hide behind. We are voyeurs, watching these primal
acts that, while seemingly gratuitous, are in actual fact crucial to
the plot of the film. It is important that the viewer sees Kelly
(Denise Richards) and Sam as predators, using sex to manipulate Susie
into believing they are all a team, in order for the final twist
exposing Susie as the one who has been manipulating them all to be
effective. Sex, itself, plays a key role in the story. Kelly's mother
reveals that she once had a passionate affair with Sam, though
whether this was during the time that Sam was also sleeping with
Kelly, is not made explicit. Given the film's undertone of
psychological instability, it seems more likely that Kelly would
begin an affair with Sam after
learning of her mother's, in a twisted bid to get one up on her, as
she blames her mother for her father's suicide. Her mother is then
simply a pawn taken for all she is worth in Kelly, Sam and Susie's
(and, to an extent, Duquette's) plot. Duquette's involvement is also
arguably sexual. Though it is ultimately implied that he is,
deep-down, the most evil of all of the characters, committing
unnecessary murders – including that of Kelly, and Susie's unseen
friend Davie – and seemingly persuaded solely by the money, one
scene in particular raises the question as to whether his motivations
are not also influenced by sex. After Kelly's death, Sam returns to
his new accommodation, a tropical cabin, only to find Duquette
already there (naked, of course, because what's a Kevin Bacon movie
without a bit of full-frontal nudity). If sex were not such a crucial
element of the film, this scene could be excused as simply two
friends, or rather 'business associates' expressing their level of
comfort toward each other in the final stage of their arrangement.
But sex is key, and it is probable that either of these characters
has used seduction to influence the other, with Duquette most likely
on the receiving end given his exposure as an oversexed drunk during
the credits montage.
The
setting and the score allow for a sleepy, seductive, snake-like
atmosphere of this fictional world. Sleepy, in that we can feel the
humidity of the Southern Florida air seeping through the screen, too
languid to protect ourselves from being seduced by the conniving
characters and the danger they represent. The calculated,
self-serving motivations of the characters match that of the
carnivorous reptilians surrounding them, slithering carefully between
each alliance, being sure not to scare off anyone or anything that
may hold the key to their success. The mood allows the plot to go
anywhere, to be anything that it feels and we are just along for the
sultry ride, powerless to object. This is exactly what it does,
killing off almost everyone that it has spent time setting up.
Wild Things
exists in a world where anything can and does happen. It's Murphy's
Law, and it's irresistible.
ROMANY
REFERENCES
Wild Things, 1998 [DVD] John
McNaughton, Roadshow Entertainment, Australia.
No comments:
Post a Comment