There’s only so cheerful a film about post-apartheid South Africa can be, a sort of ‘joy quota’. With that in mind comes Disgrace , an adaptation of Coatzee’s novel of the same name, offering the very best in bleak tragedy.
BY DEREK CROSBY
www.queensfilmtheatre.com
Malkovich plays David Lurie, a professor of literature with a mild fixation with Byron, and also for his female students. After the ‘disgrace’ of being caught having seduced one of his students, he flees his city life to live with his daughter who operates a small farm out in the sticks. And this is where the fun really begins. The Veterinary clinic, and the dogs put down there, serve as a constant reminder of the overhang of death. Likewise, later events come to show that tragedy is never far away, even among the idyllic scenery of South Africa. The main irony of the film lies in that only those who feel disgrace, are themselves disgraced. After the main female protagonist is raped, her rapist finds refuge with her close friend, and thus is the irony of the film. Being a tragedy, we are not sure how to feel about Lurie, leaving a hard hitting sense of catharsis. A powerfully sad piece of cinema.
While glad that you can find some form of art in this film, I’m afraid that I would have to disagree with calling this film “powerful” in any way. It chugs along awkwardly with a lackluster performance from Malkovich, who seems more concerned with maintaining his South African accent than putting any emotion into the part. Even then there is hardly any emotion – for a film dealing with so many issues, no-one in the movie seems to care.
Perhaps this is some sort of artsy “you wouldn’t get it thing”, but in this case I think that would be a weak excuse for a pathetically made film of a great piece of literature. Everyone in the audience, including the three people who were asleep by the time the credits rolled, seemed to agree.