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The Human
Stain
Starring : Anthony Hopkins, Nicole
Kidman
Director: Robert Benton
Rated:
Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Buena Vista Home Vid
DVD Release Date: May 3, 2005
DVD Features:
- Available subtitles: Spanish, French
- Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1),
French
- Behind-the-scenes featurette
- A tribute to cinematograper Jean-Yves Escoffier
Review By Peter Veugelaers
©2005
- Take a pot shot but be warned. During the late 1970s and early 80s director/screenwriter Robert Benton made a
couple of taut relationally-rich dramas, Kramer vs. Kramer and Places
in the Heart. He returns to the world of drama with the 2003 Miramax release
The Human Stain.
The Human Stain strongly states its conviction over the ridiculousness
of political correctness. Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is a university
lecturer whose life is transformed because of a perceived racist remark he makes
during a lecture. Silk’s wife dies after he quits his job and he later becomes
friends with Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise), a writer, whom assists Silk to
write his life story.
The richness of the story is in its plot revelation concerning Silk and the
statement about American society circa the Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton
controversy, which references this in light of Silk’s similarly charged and
analysed use of language in public discourse. Silk wittily quips about his
debacle to Zuckerman: “all in the name of political correctness. There’s an
oxymoron if ever there was one”.
The argument against political correctness is cogently put, and is probably
manipulative, but by heroising and humanizing its central character the outcome
is inevitably another predicable albeit more sophisticated yarn about the
misunderstood underdog, a Finding Forrester without the sentiment and the
Scottish accent.
Silk is simultaneously dislikeable, questionable, and empathetic, a man who
likes his women to dance (and men, too) while tenderly comforting them, which
contributes to an interesting and in depth character, but does not help in
carrying the audience’s sympathies. Flashbacks add to Silk’s characterization
(played excellently by Wentworth Miller) and background but are initially
distracting. It is difficult to reconcile the appearance of the young Silk with
the old as they are noticeably different.
Nicole Kidman stands out among the actors making Hopkins creak and groan in
her scenes with him, including some maturely staged love scenes. Her scar from
the past is handled movingly by Kidman who does not hit a false note as the
34-year-old janitor. Ed Harris is brilliant as the ex-husband who wants revenge
on her for losing their sons.
The Human Stain is a strong character piece with a clear message and
evocatively handles the moods of the scenes and characters in its politically
correct persecution complex. But the drama drags, while strongly nuanced scenes
and moments flowerily compensate, so misses out on really fulfilling its
dramatic promise. Director Benton has directed richer and more compelling
stories, such as Places in the Heart.
We would love to know what you think, sound off on the
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