MovieChat Forums > Affliction (1999) Discussion > An important film.

An important film.

posted 10 years ago by Degree7
10 replies | jump to latest

Sometimes, you have one of those days where everyone seems exceedingly vile towards you, and you feel so insecure in your own skin that you think everyone is out to get you and is thinking nasty thoughts about you, which only makes it worse. So it really ends up a downward spiral. And you just want to lash out at people.

The kicker is that people are vile, insecure creatures themselves, and even your family and friends have the capacity to demean you if they feel it benefits them.

But there are some people in this world who wouldn't think a bad thought about another person, and they are God honest angels. Which is why I make the effort to be kind and appreciative to every stranger or acquaintance I meet. Films like this teach you to have sympathy for those who isolate themselves or fumble social interactions. Because being abused psychologically is one of the worst torments a man can face.

Treat others how you would want to be treated. If someone had treated Wade with respect and kindness, things might not have gone the way they did.

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 10 years ago

Watching the film, you don't get the impression that Wade was a cruel person by nature like his father. Just the opposite, he's a rather sensitive man who tries to hide that behind a fake "tough guy" persona. Being overly sensitive, he didn't know how to deal with difficult people or situations, and after years of being treated like a doormat by his father, his boss, his ex-wife, and even his daughter, he finally blew a fuse. His final criminal acts were driven by rage and fear, not by any kind of pre-meditated malice.

[–] alex-simmons-843-329258 10 years ago

That's why this movie pisses me off. Nolte is such a great character as is coburn, but the other characters are so unrealistic for a film trying to be so grounded in reality. All the female characters are laughably as cruel as the drunk dad. Dafoe and his stupid narrations are very tacked on, and the way Jack and LaRiviere handled the twoembley situation was way too far at hinting they were involved in the murder, when they never had any real connection. Just like Taxi Driver, I have no qualms feeling that the supposedly crazy main character is justified in almost all that he does. I feel like the movie is saying that is wrong of me to do so.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 10 years ago

That's why this movie pisses me off. Nolte is such a great character as is coburn, but the other characters are so unrealistic for a film trying to be so grounded in reality. All the female characters are laughably as cruel

Anyone who has had to deal with a vindictive ex-wife who systematically poisons a kid's opinion against his/her father would differ with your assessment of this being unrealistic. Most of my divorced friends' ex-wives act EXACTLY as Wade's ex, if not worse.

[–] alex-simmons-843-329258 10 years ago

I was mistaken in saying the were unrealistic. The point I meant to emphasize is that they are just as cruel, and I feel this film's direction and the *beep* Dafoe dialogue tries to focus too much on the Dad and his son being the main source of the problems. I mean sure the dad is a pivotal role in the suffering, but the rest of the people are so grating on the nerves.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 10 years ago

The implication is that Wade's father made him emotionally damaged from the get-go. Without this background, he would have been able to cope with the problems at work and with his family life, in spite of how obnoxious his ex-wife and daughter were. But since Wade was a product of an abusive household, he was a ticking time bomb waiting to be set off by just the "right" grievance.

[–] alex-simmons-843-329258 10 years ago

I realize that, and I still find it stupid and unrealistic. This movie tries too hard to be Taxi Driver-y instead of focusing on the father/son issue. I have little to no sympathy for everyone in the film except Nolte and to an extent Coburn. Fortunately for them they were enough to carry this flawed film with gusto.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 10 years ago

Sissy Spacek's character wasn't unsympathetic, she put up with Wade's emotional roller coaster for as long as she could until she reached her limit and tried to just quietly leave (one of my favorite scenes is where Wade, acting exactly like his father, shoves her aside and takes his liquor with salt - the transformation complete).

As for the other characters, i.e. the ex-wife, daughter, Wade's boss, they were supposed to be unsympathetic and annoying. I fail to see what's unrealistic about any of them - bosses are often selfish, egomaniacal jerks, ex-wives are vindictive, and children spoiled by vindictive ex-wives tend to be obnoxious brats.

[–] howardkoor 8 years ago

Well stated. Some great acting in this film.

[–] Disardor 10 years ago

Nice post. This is a great film and Nolte gives an incredible central performance that should've netted him a ton of awards.

[–] prigat-12775 8 years ago

Exactly my point.