Bob Rafelson’s “Black Widow” (1987) is a modern film and an underrated gem about being a tourist in one’s own life.
In fact, it mainly takes place in Hawaii, where tourism is the largest industry and a way for visitors to comfortably immerse themselves in a world that is not their own.
The central characters of “Black Widow” are Catherine (Theresa Russell), the killer of the rich men she inherited, and Alexandra (Debra Winger), the agent who hunts her down.
By following a string of seemingly interconnected news stories, Alexandra believes that the trail of rich, dead men led to a married single woman and their murder. Alexandra goes undercover and befriends Catherine, drawn into her world of passion.
Black Widow (1987) Theresa Russell as the female lead Catherine Petersen
w Debra Winger, Nicol Williamson, Dennis Hopper, Terry O’Quinn, Sami Frey, James Hong, Diane Ladd. pic.twitter.com/xrjNS9ukiF
– Swipe “Lens Flare” Noir (@FlickNoir) July 18, 2022
A minor hit in 1987 and well-respected by critics, if mostly forgotten, Rafelson’s film might be a home page equivalent but his trademark (longing to exist) , unstable protagonists and human behavior-oriented storylines) are all of these.
The final scene of Shin’s character, played by actor James Hong, is painful and horrible to watch. Nor have I ever forgotten the scene of a diving trip that took a scary turn.
The best scenes are here whenever Winger and Russell play together. Their characters meet at a diving lesson, where they are paired together and must practice oral resuscitation of each other; it’s an intimate and yes, erotic way for these characters to eventually meet, as if one is trying to absorb the other.
In terms of Rafelson’s output, it’s pretty light compared to the highs of “Five Easy Pieces” (1970) and “The King of Marvin Gardens” (1972).
However, after the memorable but equally compelling “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1981), this is a far more powerful take on Rafelson’s new works.
It also outperforms “Blood and Wine” (1998) and “No Good Deed” (although the former showcases a great combination of Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine, both of whom play real characters). abject).
“Black Widow” came out the same year as Arthur Penn’s “Dead of Winter,” Ridley Scott’s “Somebody to See Me,” and Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction,” all of which are adult horror films designed to be swashbuckling. professionally crafted with carnivorous roles, introduced to the female lead.
FAST FACT: “Black Widow” Writer Ronald Bass Previously worked as an attorney. He continued the ’80s horror with “Rain Man”, earned Bass an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
“Black Widow” was a lot of construction, presentation, and cutting back and forth between the protagonist and her prey in the first half and ultimately captured the audience as the setting shifted to the Big Island of Hawaii.
While the environment is mostly resort interiors, Rafelson scored big for casting Oahu native Danny Kamekona brilliantly for the lead role of a detective and for setting up a moral story within an environment. such gorgeous.
The final scene is both clever and too flapping. There are more sensational examples of this genre of thriller out there, but Rafelson, as his focus on personality and contradictory human behavior is more than ever, makes this movie smart and stylish. than expected.
The lighting often conjures up images of film noir, although exploring how a protagonist is immersed in the lifestyle of someone without a moral compass strengthens the film’s place in the genre.
While Terry O’Quinn, Nicol Williamson and Dennis Hopper brought color to their supporting roles, the film went to Winger and Russell. Winger seems to enjoy such a rich part, especially after her unhappy celebrity experience on “Legal Eagles” (although she’s great in both).
Russell is a permanently underrated artist, whose performances in late husband Nicolas Roeg’s films demonstrate her versatile and fearless acting.
The game of find and catch these characters play has rich layers, as their pairing is initially like sisters, seemingly adapting to wordless attraction and eventually becoming a race. ruthless to destroy the other.
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“Black Widow” (which unfortunately shares the title with a much more popular Marvel comic book movie) may seem like a chore, but Rafelson’s work is always worth looking into (yes, even the farce fails. failure of Jack Nicholson/Ellen Barkin in 1992, “The Troubled Man”).
Winger and Russell’s most notable work took place in the 1970s-1990s and they are not mentioned among the most important, risk-taking, and prominent actresses of the 20th century, but they did. .
Horror movies have always been a genre for adults, which is why the complexity and human mess in “Black Widow” is so acclaimed, even today… or especially back in the day. now.
