The Human Stain
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Movie Reviews of The Human Stain
Movie Review: An Intelligent Picture!
Summary: 5 Stars
a film that needed to be made and a story that needed to be told, amazing performance from both Anthony and Nicole, just an amazing film, a must own movie!!Movie Review: Flawed but Interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
During WWII, millions of Jews whose only crime in the eyes of some where their beingJewish. Thousands to over millions were sent into concentration camps where few
survived and many were murdered, even the innocent of innocent, the children. Those
Jews who managed to escape did so by fleeing to hopeful safe harbors in other countries,
or, they passed. Far from passing to gain material wealth, power, and a share in the
decadence of the predominant group, these Jews simply sought to survive and see
another day. One cannot help but admire those who spent the rest of their lives,
whenever possible, challenging racism and bigotry and injustice.
The titled character in the HUMAN STAIN is far from being admirable and sympathetic.
Coleman Silk is a black man who chooses to pass as white to enjoy the privileges of
being white. He doesn't care to fight the injustices that deny his people their humanity,
but instead chooses to cater and bow down in honor and the keeping of such injustice
against his own people. Ironically, at the time he passes, those Jews who where unable to
pass were being killed, entire families. Even more ironical, Silk chooses to pass as
Jewish. He turns his back on his family, even after his mother in the movie pleads with
him in what has to be the best emotionally intense moment in the movie. Seemingly
without much conscious to morals, Silk starts his life new as a white man without anyone
ever suspecting him as being anything other than this. He marries a white woman, begins
a career as a college professor, lives the American dream of freedom without roadblocks.
Life is pretty good until his wife dies and two black students accuse him of using a racial
slur against them which is accidental and unintentional, but Silk so long denying his
heritage does not realize the power and mistake of the word he has used. At this point,
his mask begins to fall off and his past comes back to haunt him and it is not forgiving.
The main problem with this film is the way the story is told. The makers would have
done better to tell the story from the perspective of the young Silk instead of the old Silk
who is played by Anthony Hopkins. Moreover, the character played by Nicole Kidman,
who Silk begins a May/December relationship with in the midst of the Clinton sex
scandel with a young intern, seems to pollute the storyline and burden it down. Kidman
plays her part well, as the entire cast is excellent, but her character should have been
exercised from the story on the big screen all together. It is the young Coleman Silk and
his family who are the really interesting characters deserved more time on screen instead
of only being seen in flashback scenes.
The press for this movie was a lesson in the racial divide that is growing in the U.S. The
press took more of an interest in seeing how quick the guy who played young Silk,
Wentworth Miller, would distance himself from being black than they did in the moral
questions raised in the movie or book of the same name by a white man. Sadly, they may
have gotten what they wanted. I hope that I am wrong. I would take great pride in being
wrong!!!!! and offer an apology for the misunderstanding of Miller. Rather than
understanding the diversity of the black American community, that is, that black
Americans are a multi-cultural people whose blood roots extend not just in Africa but
also Europe and even Asia and all those places in between, regardless of the complexion
of skin or of the skin or race of one or both parents--the cause of the huge color spectra
among black Americans and blacks from North America to South America--, and, that
black Americans are a people proud of their ancestry in all its diversity regardless of what
only a handful of extremely bigoted afro-centralist don't want admitted and many white
Americans refuse to take time to learn and understand, the press has played to its own
blind and ignorant liberal bias that divides blacks Americans into dangerous social stratas
of ethnicities. For his part, Miller, who doesn't deny his heritage like he has done in
playing earlier roles in his career until the HUMAN STAIN, has shown a proclivity not
to correct his interviewers and has legitimized their prejudices that the one drop rule of
blood applies to all but a few of black Americans who have one non black American
parent, political correctness at its most perverse and dangerous. Miller doesn't
understand or doesn't want to understand that he is legitimizing racist fallacies.
To those who choose to watch the movie, or even, read the book, keep in mind that the
story is written from the view point of those or one person not in the know to all the
nuances, diversity, complexity, pride, heartache and tragedy, joy, sometimes
embarrassment, anger, struggle, bloodlines, and stories to the black American community
no matter how sympathetic and understanding they claim to be.
Movie Review: Great drama, but not a suspense.
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me preface my review by saying (a) I have never read the novel and (b) I probably read too much about the movie before I saw it. I also watch movies for entertainment, never searching, and rarely stumbling upon, a much deeper meaning.
That having been said, I was sure that I would find this movie completely unwatchable. I watched it only because Wentworth Miller was in it. But I found that I was actually quickly captivated by the movie, even before Miller appeared. I don't find the premise of Coleman Silk's dismissal from the college completely unbelievable. I find it, unfortunately, all too believable that an esteemed academic COULD be quickly dimissed for innocent remarks made that had potential of being racist, even if they were not. What I did not find was the suspense that the description of the movie alluded to. I don't really see how the revelation of Coleman Silk's big "secret" was about to ruin his life. In fact, in consideration of the fact that the loss of his job was due to a racist remark, the revelation of his secret could have saved his life. His "secret" had much stronger impacts on his life in the flashback scenes of the movie.
Ironically, I also found the casting of Wentworth Miller as the young Silk every bit as implausible as the casting of Anthony Hopkins as the elder Silk, even knowing full-well that Miller is perfectly cast in the part. If only the Silk family had just one member that had skin nearly as fair as Miller's, I could have bought it. (Perhaps Miller's own family should have been cast.) But Miller looked like the adopted child in the family, clearly much fairer than his parents and both siblings, both an older brother, and a younger sister. I also found it implausible that Silk had developed an incredibly strong British accent, presumably from his time at Oxford, after growing up in New Jersey and attending NYU, and then retained that accent over many, many years teaching in New England.
However, it goes without saying that Hopkins played the part as well as it could be played, even if the casting on it's face was less-than ideal. Miller's casting was ideal on it's face AND his performance was strong, but I do wonder how much of it was "acting" per se, and not emotion based on his own feelings and struggles with his identity. In other words, he was great, but was it really that much of a stretch? Nicole Kidman was excellent, perfectly pulling off her character, as she always does. Somehow, she is always believeable, even if she is a beautiful, classy Australian playing a somewhat grubby, class-less American.
I watched this film on DVD, so I have to believe that nothing was left out of my version. But I feel like I may have seen an edited version based on other reviews. As mentioned, I found the movie to be far from suspenseful. While Coleman's secret may have had significance in his youth, I found it to be far less significant in his adulthood. I have no idea how people knew that Kidman's character was illiterate. I also have no idea what the scene with the crow had to do with anything other than allowing a means for Kidman's character to confess further details of her past. If that was it's purpose, it could have been much more cleverly achieved. Perhaps these were details that were in the book but not well integrated into the film.
Overall, the movie is very watchable. It is a good story that makes one pause to think about the struggles of people of color, especially for those who have never had to go through such struggles. But don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for some huge secret to be revealed or for it to come out and ruin Silk's life. It's a great drama, not a strong suspense.
Movie Review: Phillip Roth's Final Trilogy Tale Comes To Life On Screen
Summary: 4 Stars
Phillip Roth's final tale in his trilogy, "The Human Stain" is set in the summer of The Year Of Our Lord, 1998. Otherwise known as "Impeachment Summer", during which the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky accusations took place, The Starr Report was released, and the whole sordid story of the infamous stained dress was on the lips of everyone, so to speak.
The film is told in flashback sequences with the narrator of the tale, writer and friend of main character, Coleman Silk's. His name is Nathan Zuckerman (a fabulous Gary Sinese). Incidentally, the character of Nathan Zuckerman is the author, Phillip Roth's alter-ego and is throughout the trilogy of novels.
Coleman Silk, played adeptly by Sir Anthony Hopkins, is a 71 year-old college professor at small New England Athena College. Coleman is wrongfully accused of racial slurs against a couple of absent pupils and loses his tenured position. This shocking news sends his beloved wife into sickness and before long, she succumbs...
If only his family, friends and all the people that Coleman Silk has touched throughout their lives knew the REAL story, such charges would have never been brought about in the first place.
Silk gets lonely and depressed quite quickly, finds the wonderful drug just produced by the name of Viagra and meets the illiterate but beautiful school janitor, Faunia Farley, played by Nicole Kidman. Faunia might be illiterate but she has graduated with honors from "The School Of Hard Knocks", both figuratively and literally by her Vietnam vet abusive husband Lester, played excellently by Ed Harris. Coleman and Faunia have a torrid affair with the whole New England town buzzing about the goings on. As they get closer and share with one another, Faunia's past is almost as shocking as Coleman's. In the final scenes of the film, all secrets are exposed...
Many critics said that the movie script itself was a masterpiece but it was grossly miscast with Hopkins and Kidman in the main roles. I disagree only because there are very few actors that could genuinely and convincingly portray the characters, let alone, carry a heavy drama such as this. The only actor that I could come up with for a recast on Coleman would be Frank Langella, in part because the physical characteristics of Coleman could have been a bit more believable to the viewer.
I must also mention the two actors who play an integral role in the flashback sequences of Coleman's youth. A terrific Wentworth Miller as Young Coleman Silk and an adequate Jacinda Barrett (from MTV's Real World London Cast) in a nice turn as young Coleman's college days lover, Steena Paulsson.
Once watching the movie, you will understand the many significant meanings of the title, "The Human Stain". Not only the stain of the original sin into which all of us are born, but the stain of hate, hurt, pain, racism, pacifism and yes, even love and death.
I highly recommend "The Human Stain" despite it's theatrical release mixed reviews and unfortunate lackluster box office draw.
Happy Watching!
Movie Review: Theme and performances: Excellent. Movie: Less so
Summary: 4 Stars
The Human Stain takes a penetrating look at the myths with which society surrounds itself in order to remain `respectable', and how those myths are simply a portal into another level of suffering. It portrays the stains which persist in society, and which, even after constant cleansing, get perpetuated into the future and our lives in one form or the other.
I thought that the theme was very interesting, the movie itself, less so. Anthony Hopkins plays Coleman Silk, a highly respected Professor of Classics at Athena College, Massachusetts. Right from his arrival, he has catapulted the College to fame and respectability, and has become Dean. His own respectability is undermined when he once innocently calls two black students, perpetually absent from class, as `spooks'. He is unaware of the derogatory meaning of the phrase, and the two students press charges against him. He resigns in anger, and the faculty members apparently are only too satisfied to let him go, because they want to avoid scandal. The year is 1998, and the country itself is enveloped in the throes of a scandal-the Clinton-Lewinsky affair.
Silk's wife dies from the shock of the accusations, and Silk becomes a lonely, dark, grudging man. Some solace comes in the form of a friendship with a young writer (Gary Sinise), himself living in seclusion in the woods after a hard fight with cancer. But the wheels of Silk's destiny really start turning when he begins an intense affair with an illiterate janitor (Nicole Kidman), many years younger than him. In turn, she faces chronic problems of her own, including an abusive childhood and a drunken, raucous and abusive Vietnam veteran husband. The rest of the movie essentially revolves about Silk's tumultuous and scandalous present life, and a disturbing past, which harbours a dark secret. I won't give it away for those of you who haven't watched it, but let it suffice here to say that he is running away from a stain which was inflicted on him many years back, as a young man in love, and an expert boxer. Silk's life long attempts to hide that old stain ironically have landed him into another disturbed existence.
I thought that the movie itself failed to be very interesting, although the director seems to have made sincere attempts to keep the intrigue and philosophy flowing. The one thing that shines through are the performances by Hopkins, Sinise and Kidman. The Human Stain makes an interesting foray into the inevitabilities of life. If we hide from a truth, it's very likely that another will haunt us, just like it haunted Silk. Better than that to face the truth and fight for it. But the problem is still not resolved. Society still has to inure itself to many blatant and supposedly embarrassing eventualities in it's citizens' lives. We still have to come to terms with the ugly ducklings among us, moralizing and generous as our expressed views and opinions about them may be. Society itself has a long way to go before it becomes all-accommodating. The most penetrating stains, it seems, are the ones which cannot be seen.